Someone to watch over me
by PathlessSpore
Summary: When Miranda had died she left behind her only sister, the one person she cared for more than life itself. Now, in the soul society, she must find a new purpose again. She just never knew she'd find it in the eyes of a pink haired little girl and her captain.
1. Death

What I've been looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 1  
Death

_**A/N: So this is the Third Person POV for my story "What I've Been looking for" Please, please, please tell me what you like! I really worked hard on this.**_

Miranda Miller was a nobody, for the longest time she knew it was true. But one does not always conform to their fate and she was no different, the only thing she regretted was the decisions that had led to this point in her life. Believe it or not, she used to be a very popular little girl in a suburb in Illinois. She was tiny, even for a child her age, delicate like a china doll, and very pretty. Her face was smooth, pale, and elegant. Her shimmering black hair cascaded down her back like a bride's veil. Her eyes were a piercing ocean blue.

Back then, she had no worries, no cares. She played in her backyard with her friends, had sleepovers and enjoyed the life her parents had given her. Eventually they decided to give her one more surprise, a new brother or sister. Miranda, Mandy as she liked to be called, was twelve years old when she learned of her new sibling and could barely contain her excitement. She couldn't wait for the baby to be born, nine and a half months later Miranda held her baby sister for the first time. She couldn't believe that she was so tiny and helpless, her face looked like it had been carved by angels, tufts of red brown hair crowned her head and her tiny thumb was stuck in her mouth.

_She needs someone to protect her,_ Miranda thought as she held Kaitlynne Miller closer to her chest, _I will, I'll never let anything bad happen to you._ But fate is a fickle thing sometimes, two years after her sisters birth Miranda's father lost his job. Nothing seemed real as the bills became too much to pay, eventually they had to leave their small home and perfect backyard. She remembered looking out of the back of the car window, waving goodbye to friends she would never see again. They arrived in a cramped city where the drab apartments were as depressing as the last, people passed by with dead looks on their faces. Dangerous eyes peered out of alleyways looking for unfortunate victims. Miranda never held her sister so close in her life.

Their apartment was cramped, only two bedrooms and a kitchen/living room. The floors were filthy, the bathroom was a mess and there was a horrid smell. And it just kept getting worse and worse, finding a job had been difficult on her father so he resorted to drinking while Mandy's mother worked seven days a week to keep food on the table. The now fourteen, Miranda did more around the house than any girl her age should. She cooked, cleaned, washed laundry, cared for her two year old sister, and other chores required to keep a home from collapsing. But it was here, in all this work she found solace, for she could care and protect her beloved sister. Everything she did was to see her beautiful smile and wonderful laugh.

Then, Miranda's mother left. It was late when the older girl heard the screaming and the yelling. She could hear her mother cry as she carried something heavy. She walked out of her room to watch as her mother looked back from the doorframe. Tears lined her tired and gaunt face; green eyes that had held so much love were nothing but haunted orbs looking for a way out. There were no tears as her mother turned and never looked back again. Her father had never been the same again. He was hardly home and when he was it was usually in violent drunken rages. Miranda remembered the nights huddling in her closet, comforting a now four year old Kaitlynne. Sixteen years old and a sophomore in high school and a gang member.

She remembered when his black eyes met hers on that street one year ago, she had been desperate and he offered a way out. It was there, in that little group, she felt like she belonged, they helped her pay her bills and she did little odd jobs for them. She never killed anyone, but she was sure she helped often. Three years later that all changed, she recalled how she was handed that heavy weapon, how black eyes told her to point the gun and kill. She remembered how her heart beat rapidly, how her palms sweat. In that moment she knew she couldn't do it, she threw down the weapon and ran. She and her sister went into hiding.

And now they had found her, after twelve different states, several fake names they had still found her. They came for her in the middle of the night, but by then Miranda was tired of running. Sure that her sister was well hidden under the floorboards of the empty house she went to go face her demons. And they showed no mercy, the beat her until she was hardly recognizable they finally forced her to her knees. She looked up into his soulless black eyes and to the others who surrounded her, people she had once called friends, and in one last act of defiance, she spit in his face. The gun went off with a loud crack; Kaitlynne saw nothing but dark red blood drip through the floor. The little girl fought her screams.

* * *

The sounds of song birds were the first thing to travel through Miranda's muddled and foggy mind. She groaned in pain feeling like she had just been hit by a car, which had not been fun the first time. The accident had left her crippled, her hip and spine needed to be held by a brace on her right side and it caused her huge amounts of discomfort. Sitting was difficult and she walked with a constant limp, severe or barely notable depending on her day. Slowly her blue eyes opened to stare up a t a clear pristine blue sky. She furrowed her brows, confused as to why she was alive.

"So you're finally awake." Came a withered voice to her left, she looked to see a grandmotherly woman sitting next to her. Her mouth was set in a small smile, white eyes studied her closely, and her face showed obvious laugh lines. Her hair was white and pulled into a tight bun, and she was dressed in what seemed to be old style Japanese.

"Am I dead?" Miranda's voice was soft as she looked at this old woman, she gave a loud laugh which startled the young woman,

"Of course you are," she wiped a tear from her eyes, "Whatever fate befell you, I'm sorry to say you did not survive." Miranda grumbled, it was just her luck to find the one person in the afterlife with a sense of humor. She tried getting up and gasped when her hip gave out a twinge in protest. She fell back and clutched her hip in pain; of course her injuries had to follow her into death. She huffed as she gazed at the sky, finally,

"Where am I," she asked as she turned to her only source of information, "Heaven?"

Another laugh, "Heaven, Shangri-La, what does it matter? You're dead, I'm dead, we're all dead here!"

"Lady-"

"Akira." Interrupted the old woman, "My name is Akira, remember it well child."

"Whatever." Huffed Miranda, she turned to her left side and used her arms to push herself up. She struggled for a moment but managed to regain what little balance she had. She looked down at herself and realized she was still wearing what she had died in. Her black shirt and baggy pants were covered in dried blood. She touched her face and to her surprise found that her face was not marred by her beating, there was no bullet hole where she had been shot. Her black hair, tied up in a ponytail, was sticking to her face and it jingled every time she moved her head. She felt around the ends of her hair and sighed sure that all of her hair charms were intact. Several hung in her face, a bear, a wolf, and a star. Charms that Kaitlynne had made her, others had been bought. At the thought of her sister, Miranda grew somber. Was she alright?

There was no way to know and before she could ponder on it more Akira pulled herself into an upright position as well. She waved her arms around her,

"This is The Soul Society," she explained, the younger woman looked around for the first time and gasped. They were in the middle of a lush green field, a wonderful sweet breeze swept through and sent the grass rustling, bringing the smell of flowers with it. In the distance she could see a tree line and nothing beyond that for as far as she could see. Momentarily she closed her eyes and breathed in deep, feeling a little at peace, "This is a place where souls go to wait to be cycled into the human life again." She slowly turned and started an easy pace so Miranda could follow after her,

"Tell me your name girl."

"Miranda," she said, limping easily beside the old woman, "But you can just call me Mandy."

"Very well then Mandy," said Akira, she put her arms behind her back as she continued walking, they had reached a worn dirt road and started to follow it to the north, "You'll live with me for the time being, or at least until you can take care of yourself." Miranda nodded and for hours they said nothing, she was too engrossed in her surroundings to talk anyway. She took in each new sight until finally they came to a small village. When they came within the limits people rushed out to greet them, all of them were dressed in the same style as Akira. The old woman gave her an amused side glance and shrugged,

"The First Shinigami were Japanese, some old traditions die hard I guess."

The black haired woman gave a noncommittal shrug as she followed her guide into a low hanging doorway covered with only a piece of cloth. The room was smoky and the floor was covered with dirt. There was a small depression in the middle of the room where a fire was going, Akira rushed to the window and began to air out the room. As it cleared Miranda saw that bed mats lay rolled in one corner of the room, clay bowls and cups sat near the fire. It was obvious Akira liked to live a very pious life, something that didn't bother Miranda all that much.

"Come Mandy," she followed the old woman to a large trunk; she opened it and began to pull out different articles of clothing, "Let's find you something decent to wear."

She pulled on a pair of pants that barely reached her ankle, and a white shirt. Akira went to help Miranda out her shirt but as she pulled it up, the younger woman yelped. Afraid she might have hurt the girl, she let her do it herself. In truth, she didn't want the old woman to see the tattoo on her shoulder, a mark that had identified her in her gang. A reminder of her mistakes. Sure that the old woman would not see, she quickly put on her new shirt. The last was socks and sandals. Finally dressed, Akira went on to feed her,

"I think you'll like it here," commented the older woman, she gave Miranda a mischievous grin, "Why, this place is to die for!"

The black haired woman groaned at the poor joke, she briefly wondered how many people would notice if she suddenly disappeared.

_A/N: __**Constructive**__ criticism please!_


	2. The Stranger in Black

What I've been looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 2  
The Stranger in Black

Life with Akira seemed to become routine after a few days. Miranda would wake to find that the old woman had woken up at the crack of dawn to stroke the fire and start breakfast. Most days varied depending on the woman's mood, sometimes they would stay in their hut other times they'd visit the market. Some mornings Miranda would find the woman had gone off on one of her nature walks, leaving her lonely and banging her head against the wall. Eventually Akira gave her chores to do to keep her mind occupied; she took to them with a vengeance happy to have something she did well.

On days when Akira wasn't in the mood for anything and Miranda had her chores done, she'd go limping around the small village. She met a lot of nice people; one might even say she made a few friends. She learned about where she was, northern Rukon district 21, and how she came to be here. This place was where people of Japan went when they died; this world had also been known to collect a few stragglers like Miranda. She learned about the Soldiers called Shinigami, who kept the balance between life and death.

Mornings and nights passed in a hazy blur until one month later, this mid-morning she and Akira were out at the market. She followed behind the old woman as she haggled for fruits and vegetables while the younger woman held onto the basket. They spent many minutes with one stand and several at another until finally they came down to the end of the street. A small crowd had gathered and Mandy could hear the whispers as she tried to get a better look at what they were staring at. She was too short however, being a little less than five feet, but Akira had no qualms about pushing herself through the crowd. When they broke through they saw a young man dressed in a black uniform. On his side was a sword and he was currently talking to the elder of the village.

Akira seemed to recognize the young man and went over to greet him, not interested in the display Mandy diverted her attention elsewhere. She waited and waited as the woman talked on and on, finally the young man bowed to her and waved goodbye, starting off toward the northern districts. All waved and shouted at him as he left until he was nothing but a small black dot in the distance, glad that he was gone. The walk home was a silent one but this didn't bother the black haired woman and as they ducked into their hut she set to putting away their groceries. Lunch and Dinner were much the same, except that Mandy was eating more and more. Her appetite these few days had become monstrous. She found that no amount of food seemed to satisfy her and she felt bad for eating all of Akira's precious food.

They settled down to sleep after the dishes were done, Akira on the other side of the fire Miranda by the door looking out at the black sky above. She lay down on her back looking at the vast sea of stars, watching with wonder as a shooting fire of light sped across the sky. The breeze rustled by sending a sweet breeze through the air. Her thoughts turned to Kaitlynne, her little sister and her eyes grew sad and her heart heavy. All her life her only mission had been to protect her, to keep her safe and she had failed. How was she supposed to keep her vow if she was dead? Mandy realized that she missed her sister with all her heart. She missed running her fingers through her silky soft red brown hair that seemed to glow brighter in the sun, she missed her smile, her laugh, her kisses goodnight.

She shifted uncomfortably on her mat as she gazed at the stars, was she watching them too? Did she miss her big sister as much as she missed her? Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over her cheeks as another shooting star passed by, silently she let her sobs go.

_Good night Kaitlynne. I love you…_

* * *

She was dreaming again, in the middle of a dark and dank forest. Whispers could be heard in the trees but their words could not be made out. Miranda sat in the middle of a grove, looking all about her, she wasn't afraid. Nothing in these woods would harm her and for what seemed like forever something to her left caught her attention. She turned to watch a bear lumber out towards her. It had reddish brown fur and intelligent yellow eyes. It was a she-bear, and a beautiful one at that. They stared at each other, sharing some kind of a moment,

_What's your name?_

The bear opened her mouth to answer but she would never say as Mandy was torn away from sleep by someone shaking her shoulder. Blue eyes opened to meet Akira's hazel ones,

"Do you plan on sleeping all day?" She asked and Miranda groaned in protest, she realized she had slept longer than she had meant to. She hurried to get up and roll up her mat and put it away. Breakfast was served quietly and while Miranda washed the dishes the older woman started to weave. The silence between them was awkward until she sighed and looked up at the black haired woman. She dried her hands and went to sit by Akira as she looked into her palms, hoping to find answer there,

"I think," muttered the older woman, "it is time you moved on to bigger and better things."

"What?" Mandy was shocked; she had grown to love this place. No one thought she was useless or a waste of flesh. Had she been wrong?

"You don't belong out here," though she never meant it like that, those words stung a bit but the old woman quickly corrected herself, "Don't get me wrong, you've been a joy. Really, my hut will never be this clean again, but I think your talents could be used elsewhere."

"What talents," retorted Mandy hotly, she felt fury rise up in her chest even though it wasn't Akira's fault for any of this, "the only thing I'm good at is cooking and cleaning, if this place includes a husband who won't run away at the first sight of me and my disability then go ahead and threw me at him!" How true were those words, ever since her accident Mandy had been unable to hold a decent boyfriend. Most of them wanted the one thing she couldn't give them, her virginity. The brace on her hip prevented her from ever having sex, from a love life, and worst of all: Kids of her own.

Akira gave Mandy a long look, "You have far better talents then that," she scolded lightly, "Granted that you'll make a wonderful wife and mother someday, but you are far more special than that."

"How so?"

"You know that there is the world of the living and the world of the dead," explained Akira, she waved her hands as if this should be common knowledge, "Do you know who keeps the balance between the two?"

Mandy nodded, "Yes, the Shinigami." It was a moment before a light went off in her head, she looked dumbfounded at Akira as the old woman nodded her head slowly, "You mean I can become-?"

"Yes, I believe you can."

"How do you know?"

"Have you been having strange dreams lately?" Miranda thought back hard and recalled her dreams of the brown she-bear, she nodded. Akira contemplated this, "And you've been eating so that's another sign, because souls without Spirit power don't need to eat. However, Shinigami do. They'll provide you with the nutrition you need."

Mandy shook her head in confusion, "But I thought the Gotei 13 was mostly military squads, I can't do all the fancy stuff they can."

"True, but they are always in need of cleanup crews, my point is I think its best you go and learn how to control your spiritual power."

They sat in dead quiet as the black haired woman contemplated her options; there was no real option anyway. If Akira thought it was right for her to go then go she must. She grew a little sad, deep down she knew this life was too good to be true. Ever since she had arrived in the soul society she knew that she had never reached the end of her fairy tale story, she supposed she would always wait for the "Happily Ever after" that would never come. She sighed through her nose, accepting defeat,

"So what do I do now?"

Akira gave her an amused look and tapped her chin thoughtfully, "That's it," she inquired, "No temper tantrum, no more reason on why you should stay? I'm an old woman; I might need your help."

Miranda smiled, "I'm too old for temper tantrums, and besides where would it get me? As for you needing me, I think you've been sitting on your lazy butt too long." Her statement was followed by the old woman's laugh as she wiped a tear from her eye,

"Yes, Mandy dear, you have spoiled me greatly." She stood up and brought the black haired woman to her feet. She looked long and hard into her blue eyes, love and caring shining deep within them, "Just do me one favor."

"Anything." Insisted Miranda, she took the old woman by the shoulders and could feel a well of tears spring up behind her eyes,

"Just remember who it was who fed you, you clothed you and gave you a good home. Don't ever forget me, promise?" Her tears fell loose as she brought her friend into a loving hug,

"I could never forget you." Promised Miranda, "Ever."

_A/N: Is it that bad, really? I'm getting no feedback from you guys, honestly. Well I don't care if you guys hate it, I'm still putting it up here, the plot bunnies refuse anything less._

_2thestarsandabove_


	3. Six Years Down the Road

What I've been looking for  
Kenpachi/OC  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Chapter 3  
Six years down the road

Six years had passed, six years since Mandy stepped through the gates into the Seireitei to take her entrance exam. She could not describe her nervousness as she stood there in front of her peers and tried to show them her Spirit Power, she was almost sure she had failed the exam. When she got her results she wasn't all that surprised to learn that she had barely passed. They coordinated her classes based on her exam and she ended up with all low level classes. She didn't care and for the first two years of her academy life she did her best to learn anything she could. She absorbed the classes on the history of the Shinigami and all their battle tactics.

In her third year she learned to create her own Zanpakutō and soon began the process of Jinzen, or blade Zen, to learn its name. Also during that year Miranda found that despite her disability she had a knack for Shunpo, if she concentrated hard enough she was able to land several feet away on only one foot, turn and plant both feet before going off again. Kido was just as easy, but her use with a sword was horrendous. Her hip prevented her from firmly planting both feet on the ground so she could defend herself. Attacking was just as hard because she needed to be able to swing her body in ways that would be normal for any other person but impossible for her.

Another skill she was surprisingly good at was Hakuda, hand to hand combat, and she surprised many of her fellow classmates when she soundly beat one of the top students. As she knocked her opponent to the ground she was silently thankful she had learned to fight barehanded in the first place. Her skill in Hakuda and Shunpo allowed her greater versatility in battle and soon she had moved to become one of the top five students in class.

It was within her fourth year she finally learned the name of her Zanpakutō. The dreams of the She-bear suddenly became clear as the name _Haha Kuma_ resounded through her head. Mother bear, its symbolism was lost on Miranda but its use was very clear. When her sword changed its hilt became heavier requiring both hands to be able to use it properly, the blade itself split into five parts that looked very much like bear claws. Haha Kuma was a defensive style of weapon, which was ironic to Miranda because she knew she was terrible at defense. She later told herself she would only use her Zanpakutō if her life was in danger.

The beginning of year five passed in a blur but at the close of the year and the start of the new one chaos erupted. Of course, being an Academy student she wasn't privy to all of the juicer details but from what she gathered there had been a Ryoka invasion and during all the confusion a Captain had been murdered. The Seireitei was thrown into uproar and confusion as one thing happened after another. Eventually it was revealed that there was a snake hiding in the grass, the murdered Captain was a traitor. Two others had followed him into his heresy and Miranda had to wonder what drove them to betray their own comrades. She shook her head in disbelief but continued with her studies. A couple of months later there were rumors that the SRDI were working on something huge and at some point she had heard someone else had invaded the Soul Society, but whatever it was had been taken care of by the Captains.

Miranda was in class when she learned that Sōsuke Aizen, the traitor to the Soul Society, had been captured and brought to justice. She almost cheered at the news; to learn that the threat was finally over was a great weight off of her shoulders. She was apprehensive about becoming anew Shinigami when such criminals were at large. Now she could apply for her Squad in relative peace. As she stared at the list of potential jobs she sighed and flipped through the pile. There was no way she was cut out for the Twelfth Squad; she wasn't as smart as they were. Military Squads like Division Eleven were out of the question, Captain Zaraki wanted fighters, and though she could defend herself she doubted he would want her. With a grumble she marked herself off to Squad Four and resigned herself to endless days of cleaning their barracks.

Weeks after Aizen's defeat Miranda graduated the Spiritual Arts Academy and took her place among the ranks of Squad Four. As she moved into her new home, at twenty five years old no less, she realized that all that she had done seemed hollow. She as a lowly grunt on cleanup duty, there was nothing to be proud of in that. True she had done what Akira had recommended, the thought of the old woman saddened her, and learned to control her gifts but she felt like she wasn't doing her proud. The thought made Miranda want to cry.

* * *

Life as a Shinigami wasn't as different as not being one, for the past six years nothing really changed. She still looked the same as she had before the academy, perhaps a little more weight gain around her chest area but nothing that different. She still wore her insane amounts of hair charms so that whenever she approached someone they could hear her coming. She got along with everyone at the Squad Four Barracks though she never bothered to learn names. She knew she was being rude but she didn't care.

Her weeks consisted of six days of work and a day to herself. On her working days she scrubbed the floors and tidied up after major operations, on the rare occasion she'd help set dislocated shoulders or was allowed to hand out tools during operations. On her day off Miranda would usually lounge around in her apartment room reading a book or trying not to bang her head against the wall in frustration. What was her purpose here? She felt so lost, even more so than she did before she became a Shinigami. It was the beginnings of December, a few months after Aizen's defeat, and Miranda was sitting on her sofa reading a book while she waited for the oven timer to go off.

Her apartment was decent sized, as soon as one walked in they were faced with the small living room/kitchen, to the right was the bathroom and to the left the bedroom. There was a sliding door on the other side of the room that led towards the outer garden that was shared by several other dorms. Outside the snow was softly falling, piles of it had landed in the garden covering it in a great white expanse. Inside was another matter, it was warm and smelled of sugar and vanilla. If there was one thing Miranda loved more than just being useful in general, it was baking. She had become very popular with her Division with all the sweets she made, in fact she was known to be quite generous when handing them out.

As the minutes ticked by restlessness settled in Mandy's stomach, it caused her to put down her book and struggle to get up and walk to the window. She watched the soft white snow flutter to the ground slowly, one right after another. She was about to move away from the window when she noticed a small figure dash right into the snow and fall into a large drift. Concerned Miranda limped quickly outside to see if they had gotten hurt, as she approached the drift it erupted into an explosion of snow sending Mandy reeling back in surprise. From within the cold depths a small child coughed and shook snow from her hair, the older woman recovered enough to recognize the shocking pink hair and big innocent eyes of Yachiru Kusajishi, Lieutenant of Division Eleven.

The little girl was tiny with short pink hair with a cross bone barrette stuck in her hair. Nervously, Miranda cleared her throat, pink eyes turned on her in a second, calculating her with surprising intensity. The next second it was replaced with a bright smile as she dusted herself off some more,

"If I may ask," inquired Miranda, "Why are you out here, Lieutenant?"

She gave a grin as she stood up a little straighter, "I'm looking for the nice lady that bakes around here; I heard she makes a lot a sweets."

Mandy was surprised her cooking powers had reached the ears of the famous Yachiru, her sweet tooth had no rival and she had heard that the little girl could be very picky. The older woman couldn't help but puff her chest up in pride as she crossed her arms,

"You found her."

The child dashed forward quickly and it was only Mandy's quick reflexes that saved her from being run to the ground. Big eyes looked up at her expectantly as she latched herself to her left leg,

"Do you have anything leftover I can have?"

The black haired woman chuckled as she deftly detached Yachiru; she turned to limp back inside motioning for the little girl to follow her inside. She closed the door after her and went to go check on her sugar cookies and found that there were only ten minutes left. She moved quickly about her kitchen trying to find mugs,

"There's only a few minutes left," she explained as she found a pack of sweetened chocolate, she retrieved milk from the fridge and proceeded to warm it in a pot on the stove, "How about we have some hot chocolate while we wait?" Yachiru nodded eagerly and soon the two were sipping on the delicious hot drink, chocolate mustaches covering their mouths. They giggled as the timer went off in the kitchen and within a flurried rush she had the sugar cookies cooling on a rack.

The pink haired girl fidgeted in her spot in the sofa eager to try the sweet treats but afraid that she would be rude to the nice lady. She looked up at the black haired woman, who scurried about the kitchen with skill but no grace. This nice woman's limp did not go unnoticed by the pink haired lieutenant and she briefly wondered what had happened, but she didn't want to be rude. So she quietly sipped her hot chocolate and waited, finally the lady came back with a big plate full of cookies. She set them on the coffee table and Yachiru's hands instantly snatched one. The treat disappeared into her mouth and she gave a low groan of delight as it melted in her mouth.

Mandy watched satisfied as the little lieutenant scarfed one down after until soon not even the crumbs were left. She stared shocked at the fact that her plate was cleaner than it was before; she gave the girl a small smile as she polished off her hot chocolate. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and set down her mug on the coffee table. The pink haired girl then hopped out of her seat and went to the door. Before she left she turned to bow politely to Miranda,

"Thank you for the cookies, they were really good!"

With a small wave of her hand, the black haired woman just smiled, "No thanks needed," she said politely as she proceeded to clean up, "I'm glad you liked them."

"I should go, Ken-Chan's gonna wake up from his nap soon," she turned to leave before she looked back one last time, "What's your name?"

"Mandy," replied the woman, Yachiru nodded seriously as if she was committing the name to memory and she was gone. As the door clicked shut Miranda frowned; the room, which had been so bright before, seemed to dim. It was like all the happiness and been drained away when the small lieutenant went home. It had been so nice to have company over, even if company only wanted to try her cookies. It was still nice. Still pondering why she suddenly felt lonely, Miranda went about cleaning her kitchen then proceeded to bed early.

_A/N: I had to introduce Yachiru sometime. So anyway, a couple of favs and alerts but no reviews. But as I said, no matter what I'm going to put this one whether you people like it or not, I worked hard on this. Is it the summary? Maybe I should work on a new one…. Anyway toodles!_

_2thestarsandabove_


	4. When Yachiru isn't happy no one is

What I've Been Looking for  
Kenpachi/OC  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Chapter 4  
When Yachiru isn't happy no one is

It was midafternoon in the Fourth Squad Cafeteria; the tables were pushed back against the wall and stacked on each other neatly. The floor was wet with soapy water as two people mopped up. The first was a man with shaggy black hair and large pronounced eyes, big and blue. He was bent over his mop, concentrating hard on his work. The other was Miranda, working just as hard, if not more than her partner. She never bothered to learn his name, rude in the long run but the monotony of the place had finally gotten to her and she just started to shut down emotionally.

There was silence between the two as they went back and forth across the floor and until they had it wiped down and sparkling. Mandy leaned on her mop and admired her handiwork. She was so proud of it she failed a very pink blur run into the room. This blur slipped on the floor falling deftly on her butt and slid the rest of the way across clean surface and came to a stop at Mandy's feet. The older woman looked down at the Lieutenant of Squad Eleven with amusement and annoyance. While she was glad to see the happy bubbly child, she wished she hadn't tracked mud all over the compound.

Yachiru Kusajishi was covered head to toe in the brown liquid so happy to see Mandy she couldn't help but smiling. She looked up at her with big pink eyes and wiggled slightly from her spot on the floor,

"Do you have any more cookies?"

The black haired woman chuckled slightly, "Not today."

"Awww!" whined Yachiru, she slumped and crossed her arms and proceeded to pout with a vengeance. For the life of them, she and her partner could not get the girl to budge an inch. Finally the other Shinigami had to go and find their Captain and within minutes she was sweeping into the room. She crossed the floor with grace and bent down next to the small lieutenant,

"Whatever seems to be the matter?" She asked kindly as she stroked her muddy head, the little girl looked up with big eyes and pointed at Mandy, as if this sacrilege was somehow her fault,

"I thought she had more cookies," she pouted, "But she doesn't!"

Retsu Unohana gave a good natured laugh and stood up; she gazed lovingly at the child as she shook her head, "Miranda has to work, just like the rest of us." She explained softly, but as the words came out of her mouth everyone could see she was about to throw a fit. It was common knowledge that Yachiru usually got her way by throwing a temper tantrum and telling her Surrogate Father about what had happened. Those who had ticked off Yachiru were usually never seen again, "But," The little girl stopped her fit and looked up at the much older woman, "What if she does her chores in the morning and every afternoon she's yours? Does that sound fair to you?"

Miranda gave her Captain an irritated look but she couldn't help admire how well Retsu dodged a particularly nasty fight. They all looked the Yachiru who looked like she was contemplating the end of the world, they all breathed a sigh of relief when she nodded,

"Okay Re-chan," she stood up, splattering more mud into the once clean floor, "Can she start today?"

Captain Unohana looked about the dirty floor while pink eyes followed the same path; she gave a nervous grin, "Tomorrow." Said Retsu firmly, her tone was not one to be argued with. The little girl scuffed her heel on the floor and nodded, with a wave she left just as fast as she had come leaving only more of a mess to clean up. Miranda and her partner moaned as they prepared their mops for more of a mess to clean up, with a light sigh Captain Unohana walked to the door. She stopped for a moment and looked back at her,

"I wanted to ask," she said softly, carefully choosing her words, "How is your hip doing?"

Mandy involuntarily put a hand to her injury and almost bowed her head in shame; she hated her disability, "Fine." She mumbled softly as she attacked her chores with renewed vigor. Retsu looked away,

"I'm sorry…" She said softly and she left the room. The black haired woman huffed as she got busy, she didn't need sympathy; she had gotten enough of it throughout her lifetime.

* * *

Miranda raced through her work with amazing speed so she could get to her dorm and start up her oven and at least a cookie batter going. She was just putting batch in when the door flew open and Yachiru came bouncing in. She immediately made herself comfortable on Mandy's couch while the older woman made them drinks. The pink haired child gladly accepted her hot chocolate and watched as Mandy went about the kitchen.

Yachiru thought she was very pretty; her pale and elegant face always seemed to have a small smile. She had deep ocean blue eyes and jet black hair tied back in a ponytail with many charms dangling from the ends. She was short but well-built but seemed to walk with a limp and it looked like hurt by the small grimace on her face. The little girl still wanted to know what happened to her, but she was afraid if she asked Mandy might not give her cookies.

Soon a sweet sugar smell filled the air, warmth and vanilla made Yachiru sigh as a timer went off in the Kitchen. Miranda pulled out her creation and set them on a cooling rack and started a new batch. As she placed the new pan in the oven she took the now cool cookies and put them on a plate. She set them down in front of the girl and grinned as she ate them up in a heartbeat. A small warmth flittered in Mandy's stomach as she watched Yachiru enjoy her cookies, when was the last time she had truly smile like this? It was with sadness she remembered this scene was the last happy moment she had with Kaitlynne.

In a flash, Yachiru was replaced with a little red head girl who had cookie crumbs all over her face. She smiled lovingly up at her bigger sister, her chocolate brown eyes full of happiness and innocence. Her angle face always full of life and joy, something that she shared often with her sister. She remembered her soft voice asking for more and she would happily comply, it was better when it was just the two of them. They didn't need anyone else only each other. Tears stung the back of Miranda's eyes as Kaitlynne slowly disappeared, a head of pink hair came back into focus but the little girl still looked at her with big eyes. Eyes full of wonder and awe; she lived every day without a worry or care happy to just be herself. Just like Kaitlynne. It was then Mandy realized she liked this little girl so much, she reminded her of her little sister so much it was like they were almost the same person.

"Do you have more?" The older woman was shaken out her stupor to look at the Lieutenant; she had polished off the plate in less than five minutes. Miranda gave a chuckle as she whisked away the dish,

"I have some more in the oven," she replied softly, "Is there any other sweets you would like me to make? I figure since I'll be cooking for you from now on, I might else well be creative."

Yachiru tipped her head as she thought about what she wanted, while she thought the timer went off again, in a flurry of movement the black haired woman soon had another plate ready for the girl to consume. This went on for a while and as her treats were eaten, the little girl tossed out what she liked and what she didn't like, which wasn't a lot. After a few hours, with a full stomach no less, Yachiru said she needed to leave before her Captain woke up from his nap. She gave the woman a respectful bow before she showed herself out, and as before the room darkened as she left.

Miranda tidied up quickly and set herself down on her sofa to write the extensive list of what her new charge wanted. An hour later she finished the six page list sure that she had left out a few but too tired to care, she grabbed her small pouch of money and headed off to go to town. In the market she haggled and bartered with vendors, buying the ingredients she needed. The sun was starting to set as she hobbled back into her apartment, her arms full with several bags and baskets. By the time she finished putting away her groceries she had the hardest time closing her fridge.

Mandy rubbed her sore hip and limped off to her bedroom to get ready for another day of work tomorrow. As she threw back the covers to her bed and climbed in she shifted uncomfortably on her back, she had just seen her first day as Yachiru's new chef. If the child's appetite was as bad as they said, then Mandy had her cut out for her. But, she thought as she closed her eyes, having the little girl brighten up the room and to give her a whole new purpose, she figured the work would be well worth it in the end.

_A/N: Yay! One review! *happy dance around the room* So glad someone liked it enough to comment. Anyway, chapter wasn't as long as I would have liked it but we have to keep moving on. Keep a look out for the next chapter._


	5. Captain Kenpachi Zaraki

What I've been looking For  
Kenpachi/OC  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Chapter 5  
Captain Kenpachi Zaraki

Yachiru and Miranda seemed to establish a schedule of sorts; mornings were the time spent finishing her chores while Mandy tried to figure out what to make her new charge. Then, when she was done, she'd rush to her dorm to start the oven and that day's treat. Foods ranged from simple brownies to complicated cakes that Yachiru always seemed to eat in the blink of an eye. Eventually, Mandy's chores got done faster until she had three hours to prepare for the little girl; it came to the point where she woke up every day looking forward to see the bright pink bubble.

They enjoyed each other's company so much Yachiru shared her life's story. Miranda was sad to realize she had been born in one of the most ruthless districts in the Rukongai. As the girl recounted tales of blood and gore she was surprised the child had not died, if her life had continued along that path her death was sure. But fate seemed to smile upon her for she met a man from the 80th district Zaraki. A battle hardened man who showed no remorse, when Yachiru touched his blood soaked blade this nameless man knew that their meeting was meant to be. Mandy was happy to hear that Kenpachi Zaraki had taken a very tiny Yachiru and given her protection. It was very obvious she cared about her Captain; she always spoke of him with reverence and love.

Of course, Mandy had heard the rumors of the Captains love for violence and gore, which made him the perfect head of Division Eleven, but Yachiru seemed to look past all that and see him for what he truly was. Whenever the pink haired child arrived at her dorm she always had tales to tell of Ken-Chan's battles and victories. She recounted lost limbs and severely cut bodies, she told of his insane laughter whenever he was having fun. _That's what Ken-Chan likes best,_ she instructed wisely, _He wants to have fun when he battles, and that's why he liked Ichi sooo much!_

When Yachiru asked her first question about Miranda a few weeks had passed by, the black haired woman was in the kitchen trying to frost the cake she had just made. The tiny lieutenant was more than happy to lend a helping hand and ended up covering herself in pink and blue frosting. She was licking her hands when she finally eyed Mandy's hip. She seemed a little nervous as her finger popped out of her mouth,

"Jingles," Yachiru thought it was a fitting nickname for her; she always seemed to jingle when she moved about, "Why do you limp?"

Mandy stopped short of adding a pink flower to the cake; she slowly looked up at the little girl whose curiosity was shining in her eyes. She couldn't get mad at her for asking such a question, everyone always wanted to know. Though she had come to accept that she had a disability she hated talking about. Her injury only served as a reminder for her mistakes in life, a painful reminder. She lightly put a hand to her hip as she opened her mouth to speak,

"I," she replied softly, "got into an accident."

Yachiru cocked her head and frowned, "What kind of accident?"

"I was-" muttered Miranda, but she stopped short and set the tub of frosting down. She seemed flustered as she wrung her hands nervously. Yachiru almost leaped up in surprise, she hadn't meant to upset her, "I don't want to talk about it." Said Mandy firmly. She looked at the little girl and choked back the small sob that wanted to escape; lacing her pink eyes was sympathy and kindness. Yachiru nodded her head seriously,

"Okay Jingles."

She never brought up her injury ever gain, and for that Miranda was grateful.

Another source of interest for the child was all of the charms that hung in Mandy's hair. The first time she asked they were sitting on her abused sofa drinking hot cider and giggling to each other. Suddenly Yachiru reached up and fingered the star hanging in her eye, letter beads above it spelled out "I love you". She studied it curiously as the older woman waited patiently,

"Where did you get these?" Yachiru asked and she was a little surprised to see the black haired woman's happiness fade away and turn sad. She looked away and was silent for a few moments,

"My sister made them." She said softly, her voice was thick and heavy. The little girl didn't understand why she sounded so upset, did her sister die? She watched as Mandy got up and moved to the kitchen, trying to find something to do with her hands.

"What does your sister look like?" she asked innocently, Miranda looked up at her and chuckled. Her blue eyes were watery like she was trying to fight back tears. Her laugh was nervous and she turned away to wipe her eyes,

"What is this, twenty questions?"

While Yachiru waited for her answer the black haired woman thought back. It had been six years since she had died, so much about Kaitlynne would have changed. She'd be about fifteen now, she wondered what she looked like. If she was going through life okay, if she had made better choices than her sister. She looked back to the pink haired lieutenant and shrugged,

"I don't know," she replied, "It's been six years since I died."

"What's her name?"

She looked at the woman seriously as she set her mug of cider down on the table. Miranda looked at her sadly,

"Kaitlynne…"

Yachiru nodded and she never talked about her sister again.

* * *

Miranda and Yachiru were sitting on the sofa enjoying yet another amazing cup of hot coco. It had been two months since she had begun baking for the little girl and the smiles and laughs she brought each day brightened up Mandy's world so much. It was raining outside with low rumbles of thunder rolling along; the faint pitter patter of rain could be heard on the roof leaving the inhabitants inside feeling relaxed. The two girls were giggling about the pink haired girls antics around the Seireitei perfectly enjoying themselves. Outside the day started to turn to dusk. Yachiru should have been home hours ago but they were having so much fun it had just slipped their minds.

At the top of the eight O'clock hour the sound of footsteps could be heard out in the hall. Miranda diverted her attention a bit to listen; they were heavy and seemed to pound along the floor angrily. With a frown she turned her head, no one in her Division walked like that. Her full attention on what was happening outside in the hall she noticed the low rumblings of a man and a light calming voice. Several doors were being opened with loud bangs and Miranda struggled to get up. She shuffled to her door and was about to open it when it was thrown back with such a force she was surprised it didn't leave a hole in her wall.

Miranda reeled backwards as she beheld a behemoth of a man standing in her threshold. He was tall and very broad. He had to duck down to get through door and when he stood to his full height she had to resist the urge to shrink back. She was tiny compared to this man. He wore a standard uniform with its front thrown open to show off his chest. If Mandy hadn't been so terrified she probably would have taken the time to admire his washboard abs but she was a bit more preoccupied at the moment. Her eyes traveled up to reach his sharp and jutted face, his mouth was set into what seemed like a snarl and one intense green eye had a scar over it the other had an eye patch. His hair was jet black and reached just past his shoulders and spiked, with a hard swallow she realized who she was seeing. Without a doubt she had just come face to face with Kenpachi Zaraki.

The larger Captain looked at her with a heated gaze, studying her as a predator would prey. Every instinct in her tiny body was screaming at Miranda to run like hell. She held it in and backed up to let the much larger man have room, he walked deeper into her apartment and the second his gaze left her it landed on Yachiru. She watched as he growled,

"Where the hell have you been?" he snarled as the little girl bounced up off the couch, throwing her mug up into the air in the process. With a start Mandy dived at it before it could hit the ground, she landed with a thump with the mug in her hands. She gave a sigh of relief and struggled to get up so she could put it in the kitchen. Yachiru leaped into his arms and looked at him strangely,

"I've been here Ken-Chan." She stated, as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world. Behind the large frame of the Division Eleven captain appeared Retsu Unohana, she had her hands folded together and her face was the epitome of calm as she gazed up happily at the two,

"As you can see captain," she said politely, "You're lieutenant is fine."

Kenpachi grunted and his harsh gaze returned to Mandy. He put Yachiru on his shoulder; Miranda had to admit with the little girl sitting there he looked a little less terrifying. She kind of balanced him out. Suddenly Kenpachi's feral eyes darted back to her, she stiffened as she watched his gaze turned from a heated stare to a nerve wracking, intense dislike. In that instant Miranda's pride kicked in and she took the time to jut out her chin defiantly, she didn't like the look she was receiving, like she had done something wrong.

"Who the hell are you," snapped Kenpachi, Mandy's jaw clenched, "And why is my lieutenant with you?" He sounded like she dirt beneath his feet, not worth the time for the obviously charming girl. She could not fight the white hot fury that filled her chest, with a snarl she stalked out of her kitchen toward the much larger Captain. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she came toe to toe with him, she had to admit at the moment it was hard to be intimidating when he was a good foot and a half taller than her.

"Uh-oh…" mumbled Yachiru, and it was an uh-oh indeed as Miranda poked Kenpachi hard in the chest,

"I don't give a damn what you're rank is," she hissed angrily, "It doesn't give you the right to talk to me like I'm trash!"

They were in each other's faces now, each with their hackles raised like two dogs about to get into a fight. Miranda was sure they were going to come to blows when a tall figure stepped between the two. Retsu Unohana had decided it was time to stop all this nonsense before someone got seriously hurt, she gave each a pleasant smile that promised pain if they didn't stop,

"Please," She said evenly," Captain Zaraki, as I said before, Miss Kusajishi is safe. Now if you don't mind, I kindly ask you to leave." He looked like he wanted to argue with her, but thought better against it. With one hateful glare cast at Miranda he turned on his heel and left. She deflated as soon as her door slammed shut, the adrenaline rush which had given her the courage to stand up to the barbaric man suddenly left her body making her feel weak and helpless. With a shaky sigh she sunk into her sofa while Retsu Unohana looked at her merely amused.

"That was very foolish," she commented lightly as she regarded Mandy's door, "Anyone who had done what you have would have met a very grim end indeed." The younger woman gave a chuckle as she rubbed her forehead,

"I don't know what got into me," she replied softly, "Look at me: Twenty-five years old and I'm picking fights like I'm in grade school." Now that all the excitement was over, she wanted to go to bed. Kenpachi Zaraki had officially ruined her day, she gave another heavy sigh as she contemplated on whether or not moving would be worth the energy.

"Perhaps some old habits die hard," observed Retsu, she gave a shake of her head as she strode towards the door, she looked back at Mandy, "Is there anything you require?" The younger woman shook her head and the Captain bowed and silently left the dorm. Alone, Miranda stood up and turned off all the lights, she shuffled to her bedroom and snuggled under her covers. With a grunt she shifted so she wasn't so uncomfortable and slowly she drifted off to sleep. Her last thought before darkness claimed her was that she hoped Yachiru would come the next day. She looked forward to the little girl's arrival; a part of Miranda knew she would wither away if she was ever taken away.

_A/N: *Happy dance* More reviews! Yay! Glad you guys like it! So as you guys can tell this is the new Kenpachi and Yachiru looks, because I thought that Ken looked hot with his new hairstyle and it gave me an excuse to describe him in Mandy's eyes. So let me know what you think!_

_2thestarsandabove_

_p.s. I was thinking about changing my penname. "Fantasy'sgreatesttragedy" Or "Phantasy'sfantasy"_


	6. New Job

What I've been looking for  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 6  
A brand new job

Yachiru never came back the next day; Miranda had waited for hours before she sadly put away her supplies. She had feared that this might have happened; sure that the little girl was her own person but there was always the chance Zaraki had forbidden her from ever seeing Miranda again. Was the man that much of a jerk? Mandy had no doubt that he was; slowly days passed by and still no sign of the child she had grown to love. She missed her smile and the pointless hours of conversation, she missed Yachiru in general. Eventually Mandy returned to her regular work schedule, as she scrubbed and mopped floors she seemed to watch the door in anxiety.

Before she knew it two weeks had passed since the Captain had rudely kicked her door in and taken the joy out of her life. It was a rainy April afternoon as Miranda relaxed on her sofa reading a sappy romance novel. She was sure she looked a bit pathetic; all the women in their stories seemed to be perfect beyond compare with handsome men who seemed to worship the very ground they walked upon. Everything always turned all right for them; they got the happily ever after Mandy always dreamed about. Despite how much these kinds of novels ticked her off she found they filled the empty void in her heart.

She was so lost in her own daydreams that she failed to notice angry voices outside her door. Which was why she jumped a mile out of her skin when her poor door was once again thrown open with such a force it actually left a hole in her wall. She watched in shock as a very angry Yachiru stomped to the middle of her living room, turned and crossed her arms and scowled at Kenpachi Zaraki; who was ducking through her doorway. Behind him was Retsu Unohana who seemed more than happy to let the two have out their differences in Mandy's dorm.

"I said no and I meant it Yachiru!" bit out Kenpachi, he towered over the child, and his fists were clenched at his sides in an effort to control his temper. The pink haired girl stuck her nose up at him, causing a growl to erupt from her Captain,

"I don't care, I want her to." She sniffed,

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Yachiru, you are starting piss me off!" If Kenpachi's threat bothered Yachiru she never showed it. Instead she glowered at him, Miranda looked between the two wondering what had happened to cause this spat.

"She's coming with us!" she said hotly, her posture dared Kenpachi to challenge her and he looked more than ready to. For a split second he glared at Mandy, as if this whole fiasco was somehow her fault, she shot him a hateful look as she returned her attention to Yachiru.

"I said-" before the larger Captain could get another word out the lieutenant stomped her foot on the floor,

"She's coming with us or I'm not going home!"

"What?" Three voices shouted, in a split second Miranda was up and off her couch, the fast movement caused her hip to twinge in protest but she ignored it as she limped up to Yachiru. She placed firm hands on her shoulders, pink eyes met blue ones as the black haired woman shook her head,

"You don't mean that." She said softly,

"But Jingles," she whimpered but Mandy shook her head,

"No," she argued firmly, "Whatever you two are arguing about means nothing compared to what you just said."

"Jingles,"

"It's not nice Yachiru." Scolded the older woman, the room was plunged into silence as the little girl dropped her head in shame. Slowly she shuffled over to Kenpachi so she could wrap her tiny arms around his legs,

"I'm sorry Ken-Chan…" she sniffed; the larger Captain deflated a bit as he grabbed his surrogate daughter by the collar of her Shihakusho and set her on his shoulder. She nuzzled her face into his neck as he leaned in closer to her, as they shared their tender moment Miranda thought back to the fear she had seen in the barbaric captain's eyes. When Yachiru had issued her threat it had crossed his face in a ripple of shock, for a moment she could see that the little girl had truly scared him. She was an important part of his life; he had come to depend on her as she had come to depend on him. Whether they knew it or not, they needed each other. Though he would deny it, the thought of losing Yachiru was more terrifying to Kenpachi than anything else.

Miranda gave a sigh of relief and looked between the two, she got the distinct feeling she had just averted world war three. She straightened her uniform just as the feral eyes of Captain Zaraki turned to hers in an instant. But unlike before where she had seen hostility there was a slow and calculating look to them. They studied each other for a long moment before Kenpachi gave his lieutenant a sidelong glance.

"Fine." He grunted and within the second her pink eyes brightened. She stopped short of hugging his neck to give him a cold and suspicious glare,

"You mean it?"

"I said fine, didn't I?" he shot back and his gaze flickered back to Mandy its regular hate had returned. He sneered and crossed the space between him and her in a few short strides; he looked down on her and crossed his arms, "Be at the Division Eleven barracks at ten, no later!" With that said he spun on his heel and stalked out of the room.

Dumbfounded Miranda stared at his retreating back with confusion. What had just happened? She sunk into her sofa and tried to run through the events in her head. Retsu Unohana gave her a small smile and entered her dorm; she sat next to the puzzled woman and chuckled.

"It would seem," she said slowly," you have made quite the impression on the young lieutenant, she wants you to live with her at the Division Eleven barracks."

"Why?" The younger woman was so lost at this point, "There's nothing special about me, and did you see that fit just now? It's obvious that he didn't want me there!" she pointed to the door, "In case you haven't noticed, he doesn't like me and I have to say that the feeling is mutual!"

"Yachiru wants it," replied the Captain calmly, "and you know as well as I do what happens when Yachiru doesn't get her way."

Mandy gave a weak laugh as she rubbed her forehead,

"I guess I'd better pack then?"

Retsu gave a laugh.

* * *

In the end all of Miranda's belongings fit into two packs, one filled with her cookbooks and the other with her clothes. That morning she looked about her room and realized that despite calling it her home for the past few months, it had never really felt like one. She wasn't that sad to leave it behind, with a shrug she closed and locked the door and went off to turn the key into her Captain. They said their goodbyes along with the few friends she had made, they saw her off at the gate then turned around to return to their lives. Miranda watched them leave with a mixture of sadness and satisfaction, she was sad because she had come to know them a little, satisfied because she found them to be a tad boring and she was slightly glad to leave them.

With a sigh the black haired woman dashed down the path with amazing speed, from fourth to eleventh squad barracks it was an hour and a half long walk. With Shunpo the time was halved and she arrived at her destination a quarter to ten. As she came to a stop she almost stumbled due to her injury. Her hip twinged in pain as she rubbed it tenderly. She shouldered her packs and for the first time looked at where she was.

A gate loomed in front of her; the doors were thrown wide open into the large stone courtyard. Walls seemed to surround the entire compound. Mandy walked through the gate and toward the large main building, it towered above her and she couldn't help but stare in awe. A tingle of terror ran down her spine as she realized she was going to be living with a bunch of bloodthirsty soldiers, swallowing hard she shuffled up a set of stairs to reach the door into the main hall. Waiting at the crest was a man tall and blad man. He wore a standard Shinigami uniform with gold shoulder armor on his right arm. His eyes were cruel and intense with red markings on the edges. His face was pulled into a sneer as he looked her over,

"So, you're the new cook?" Miranda had to stop herself from giving a confused look. She figured she was here to bake for Yachiru, she didn't know she had ended up cooking for the whole Division. She swallowed nervously and nodded, with a grunt the bald man turned on his heel and walked inside. She had to shuffle after him quickly, they entered through the main doors into a large room. Men were lounging on the floor with bottles of sake in their hands, many were passed out, and others talked to their friends. As soon as they came in the low buzz of talk went dead, Mandy could feel all eyes on her as she was led to the front of the room where the Captain sat with his lieutenant in his lap. Her bald escort left her to stand in front of Kenpachi as he joined a tall male with black hair and feathers.

All eyes watched as Miranda and Kenpachi began an all out staring contest, his feral eyes bore into hers but she refused to look away. Eventually he was the first to break the tense silence,

"As of right now you work for us, so that means you get to the kitchen where you belong Onna." he snarled, Mandy stiffened at the harshness of his voice. The way he said "onna" rubbed her the wrong way and she couldn't fight the glower she had been holding back. Her fists clenched the fabric of her uniform as his eyes dared her to defy his authority over her. She was fighting every urge to give this Captain a black eye, she knew her chances of landing a solid hit were slim but if he ever gave her an opportunity she was taking it. They glared at one another, "Ikkaku," barked the Captain, the bald man stepped to his side, "Show her to her room, then to the kitchen. Wouldn't want poor little Onna to get lost."

There was a few snickers as Miranda shot him one last withering glower, _Just you wait, _she promised, _I am so spitting in your food._

_A/N: as you can see those two do not like each other very much, mainly because Kenpachi is a sexy asshole and Miranda is not one to let people push her around. I can't wait to see where this goes. Any suggestion on what those two might butt heads over? Let me know!_

_2thestarsandabove_


	7. Day One

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 7  
Day One

Miranda looked at her new room; it was small, no bigger than a studio apartment. To the right wall was her bed and the window at the far end. Her left had a less than decent sized bathroom. There was a dresser and an end table but as far as decoration went the room was bare. She dropped her bags onto her bed and turned to face her bald escort. With a hard look she put her hands on her hips,

"Well? Let's go, don't I have a kitchen to be in?" She watched with satisfaction as an irritated look passed over his face, with a grunt he turned on his heel and Mandy followed behind. She took a quick glance around, like her room at Division four, her dorm shared a large garden; which was in the process of dying. She could see several doors and right across from her room was a double sliding door with the Division Emblem. She gave a low grumble as she realized she'd be right across from Kenpachi.

Mandy turned her attention back to her guide and memorized the way to the kitchen, they went straight for two halls then a right, then they kept walking until they came to a large courtyard and took a left. Her guide stopped at the second door on the left and pushed it open. Mandy walked past him to look at the kitchen and nearly gagged as she stepped back in revulsion. The place was filthy, dust covered every counter, the floor looked like it hadn't been scrubbed in years. The smell was horrible and she didn't even want to know what was festering in the sink. Lounging around where thee young men, one was tall and blonde and a bit on the unhealthy skinny side. The other was shorter than his friend and had black hair and his buddy had blonde hair. They sat around doing nothing and it was no wonder why the kitchen was so filthy.

The bald man looked amused at Mandy's reaction, "If it makes you feel any better," he said nonchalantly, "Most of us eat in town anyway."

"I don't blame em'" muttered Mandy, she shook her head as she looked over all the work she had to do.

"Since your Yachiru's favorite," explained her bald guide from the safety of outside, "You've been promoted to head cook. Which means your in charge of the kitchen." The three men sitting about looked up fearfully at Mandy at these words. She ignored them as the man pointed across the room to a door, beside it was a clipboard. If Mandy had to venture a guess she would say it was the pantry, "We go shopping twice a week, anything the kitchen needs just write it down there. Mandy nodded as she started to roll up her sleeves but the male wasn't done yet, "As I said you're head in here, but just remember who your superiors are. Name's Ikkaku Madarame, third seat, and if I wish it you have to do everything I say." His eyes raked over Miranda's body and fury rose up in her chest as she snarled at him. In a few short limps she stood toe to toe with him and instantly got in his face,

"I don't give a damn on who you are," she spat hotly, "I am here because your lieutenant wanted me here, if you so much as lay one finger on me I will PERSONALLY make sure she makes your life a living nightmare!" Fear spread across Ikkaku's face as he backed away, Miranda gave a snort. It was just as she thought, everyone here was scared of the little girl and now that she knew it she held all the power she needed. With a satisfied smirk she watched the third seat leave in a rush and she turned to her new kitchen aides. They stared at her with a mixture of awe and respect, she set her hands on her hips and looked at each and every one of them,

"I don't know how much help you're going to be but," she said as she crossed her arms, "I'd like to know you're names."

The brown haired male stepped forward and cleared his throat, "My name is Tsung," he pointed his friend with the black hair and to the blonde, "That's Mitsarugi and Lea. And we'd have no problem helping you out, right guys?" The other two nodded and Mandy gave a triumphant smirk and they all set off to work. As she started mopping the floor she glanced at her helping hands, she was a tad curious she had heard that all the men in the Eleventh Division were nothing but fighters, but these three seemed to be the weakest of the crop. She now understood why they got stuck in this filthy place, they weren't of any use elsewhere.

For the rest of the afternoon Mandy scrubbed the floors and counters; by the time dinner rolled around she had the floors clean, the dishes done and put away and even managed to get dinner out in the mess hall which was about as bad as the kitchen. Tsung had guessed less then a third of the men would eat dinner in the mess hall and they all made enough accordingly but they ended up throwing away over half of it. It was well past ten when Tsung and his friends headed off to bed, much to the insistence of their new boss. As they closed the door behind them the black haired woman sighed as she rolled her sleeves even higher. She finished of the rest of the kitchen; which included tossing out half the pantry, killing all the bugs and rodents, and clearing out the fridge. Afterwards she started a fresh bucket of scalding hot soapy water and set it out into the Mess Hall. The floor was black with grime, the tables were horrendous and there was a pile of junk that seemed to move when ever she turned her back.

With a groan she started by pushing all the tables back and stacking them, then she grabbed her mop and set to work. It was two in the morning before she got the entire floor spotless and even then she didn't stop. Her forehead was lined with a light sheen of sweat as she stopped for a breather. With a small huff she put away the mop and went to put the tables back and cleaned them while she was at it. She wasn't about to give Kenpachi room to belittle her, if she was going to be on kitchen duty then she was doing this thing right. When she was done rearranging the Mess Hall it was going on four but she was far from done. Rubbing her hip she limped back into the kitchen to start breakfast. Despite the fact she had gone almost twenty hours without sleep she was still had the energy to keep going. She glanced at her coffee cup, perhaps she had a little help. With a heavy sigh she started clanging around the room looking for all the spare pans and plates she could find, she'd show them who exactly they were toying with.

* * *

Far from kitchen, on the other side of the compound in fact, there was a very big and spacious room. The walls were covered in pink flowers and crudely drawn pictures made with love. There was a large pink dresser full of clothes. On the walls was a large plush bed filled with fluffy pillows and stuffed animals any child could ever want. The sheets were pink with flowers and currently snuggled under the covers was a small girl dreaming about all the sweets she would eat today. She gave a small mumble as she turned over in her sleep, but her slumber would not last long as she sat upright in her bed quickly.

Yachiru hopped out of her bed and ran over to her dresser, carelessly she threw open a drawer spilling its contents all over the floor. Fifteen minutes later, with some struggle, she had managed to dress her self. She sprinted down the hallway toward Ken-chan's room and nearly tripped when she arrived. She slid the door open and bounded up to the bed and jumped. The large captain gave a grunt as he opened an eye to find a very excited little girl flying toward him. It was a split second before he realized she was going to land on him in a very painful way. Not that he minded pain, but he didn't feel like having any part of him crushed. He rolled out of the way just as she landed but she managed to grab a hold of him and with the rest of her momentum she pushed him over the edge of the bed.

Kenpachi landed with a very heavy thump and a grunt while Yachiru giggled madly. "There'd better be a good reason why you're waking me up." he muttered as he rubbed his head. A grin spread across his face as he pulled the little girl into a hug. The next hour flew by as Kenpachi dressed and fixed his hair, he threw on his Captain's haori and left the room with Yachiru running up behind to jump on his shoulder. Kenpachi yawned as he rubbed the back of his neck, in the back of his mind he was debating on whether or not he should take Yachiru into for breakfast. The weaklings who were usually in charge of the kitchen did a terrible job of it. He wondered why he hadn't killed them yet. Up on his shoulder Yachiru was bouncing happily humming a small tune to herself, he knew why she was so happy. As usual she got her way.

Kenpachi grew slightly irritated, stupid Onna why did he let her live here in the first place? Because she managed to convince Yachiru not to leave him, that was why. The pink haired girl had been dead serious, he knew it and so did the woman with the annoying hair. And it was her that Yachiru listened to, for whatever odd reason. Yachiru barely listened to him on a good day, she normally did as she pleased, but something about this woman caused his pink haired girl to follow her almost blindly. Yachiru wasn't dumb she wouldn't do everything the woman said but still, it bothered Kenpachi that Yachiru liked someone almost as much as him. He had always figured that her love was reserved for him alone until that woman came sweeping in.

Kenpachi rounded the corner to the kitchens and mess hall and stopped dead when he saw a small crowd huddled around the mess hall doors. His men whispered to each other and slightly agitated he stalked up to them and pushed them aside to see what the big fuss was about. Again he stopped suddenly, he didn't know whether to feel surprised or amazed at the sheer cleanliness of the Mess Hall. He looked down at the floor and saw his own reflection, the table were neatly ordered with the largest table set at the head of the room.

"Ken-Chan..." whispered an amazed Yachiru, she gripped his shoulder tight as she looked around, "It's so clean..."

Then a wonderful smell wafted across the room, the mere taste of it sent many of the men into a drooling frenzy as Kenpachi realized the tables were covered in an assortment of plates filled with food. Dumplings, rolls, and other foods were just waiting. All looked to their left as the kitchen doors opened, she came in. The woman balanced several plates on both her arms with skill, she walked to the head table and set out the food, as she turned around she noticed them. A smirk settled on her face as she tossed her long hair and set her hands on her hips,

"Well," Her eyes danced at him, "what are you waiting for? Breakfast is served!"

Kenpachi felt a rush of air and he realized with surprise that his men had wasted no time helping themselves. And neither Yachiru for that matter as she was already at the head table,

"Come on Ken-Chan!" she patted on the cushion next to her, still slightly shocked he crossed the room, looking around. It was bright and had a certain peace to it, unlike the rest of his compound. He settled in his seat next his lieutenant and found that she had already filled a plate for him. A light chatter started to fill the room as he began to eat, the men were clearly enjoying themselves. They seemed to be more relaxed than they did when they had sake, which was surprising in itself. The kitchen door opened again and Kenpachi looked up to see the woman, she held a large pitcher in her hands filled to with what seemed to be orange juice, more than likely it was for Yachiru. It was then he also noticed that when she started towards them she was walking with a heavy limp. He studied her as she approached the table and set down the jug, she gave Yachiru a small smile and turned around.

"Yachiru," Kenpachi reached for the jug to pour her a drink, "Why does she walk with a limp?"

"I don't know," she replied, she guzzled down her drink, "She told me she got into a bad accident, but she won't say what kind. She doesn't like talking about it." She looked up at him with big pink eyes, "Why?"

"Tch," muttered Kenpachi, his careful gaze hardened, "Weakling." In a moment he found himself on his back with a small red hand-mark forming his cheek. In a moment he sat up, "What the hell was that for?" Yachiru glared up at him,

"Be nice Ken-chan, Jingles was really nice to clean up our mess. She even cooked us breakfast and she didn't have to!" With a huff she sprung up with plate and cup in her hand and stalked off towards the Kitchen. It took another second for him to realize he had just been schooled by a kid, his kid no less.

* * *

Yachiru stepped into the kitchen and was immediately greeted by the three weaklings of Squad Eleven. Brownie, Blackie, and Blondie all looked up when she walked in. With a quick glance at his friends Brownie bowed to her,

"Good morning Miss Lieutenant, is there something wrong with your plate?"

"No," she said with a smile, she handed it off to him and he took it to the sink, "I wanted to thank Jingles for the nice food, it was good!"

"Jingles?" Brownie frowned until it finally dawned on him who she was talking about, "Oh you mean Miss Mandy. Yes she did do a good job didn't she? She stayed up all night cleaning up the Kitchen and the Mess Hall, and she even cooked for us when she didn't have to. But you'll have to thank her tomorrow."

"Huh?" Yachiru frowned, "Why?"

With a small chuckle he pointed to the corner of the room, "Just look for yourself." Yachiru turned to find that Miranda had passed out on a stool near the island in the middle of the kitchen. Her head was buried into her arm and the little girl could hear the soft snore, Yachiru felt bad. She never meant for Jingles to work this hard,

"We should put her in bed," she said suddenly, she turned to the kitchen aides, "That would be the nice thing to do."

They all nodded as Brownie walked up to her and went to pick her up, "Careful," warned the little girl, "She's got an injury right there," she pointed to her hip, "and it hurts her if you touch it." The kitchen aide bowed his head,

"Duly noted Miss Lieutenant, thank you."

Yachiru watched as Brownie carried off Jingles, a small smile tinted her face. She hoped Jingles would be much better tomorrow, she didn't want to put off another whole day of sweets. With a grin she turned around and walked back out into the Mess Hall.

_A/N: Wow, sorry guys for not updating. It's been crazy this past month or so with graduation and college coming up. Not to mention that I moved which is always more of a fuss than it needs to be. Then my dad tried to do something stupid to himself and almost ended up killing himself, but that's my problem and not yours. Rest assured that he's alright and I'm taking good care of him. So hope you liked this new chapter and please review, it would mean so much to me after all this time._


	8. Routine

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 8  
Routine

Miranda was a bit confused as to why she woke up in her room instead of the kitchen. She groaned as she sat up rubbing the back of her head. She was a bit surprised that she felt a lot better, how long had she been asleep? She looked out her window to see a light pink band in the sky. She had slept an entire day, her stomach dropped as she realized she had wasted an entire day of work. Oh god, Kenpachi was going to kill her! She all but flew out of her bed, much to her pain. Her hip gave a twinge as she stumbled into her bathroom to freshen up.

An hour later she was pulling her hair back into a ponytail and clipping her charms in her hair. She opened her door to hear the sounds of loud snoring coming from the rooms around her. Mandy took in the sweet morning smell and limped off toward the kitchens. Why didn't anyone wake her up? With an irritated sigh she rounded the corner to the Mess Hall and entered the kitchen door, she was a bit surprised to find that Tsung, Mitsarugi, and Lea were already hard at work. Before she had fallen asleep she had made a comprehensive list of every meal this week, and it was too her delight she found them almost done.

All three boys looked up at her and smiled, "Good morning Mandy-Sama!" grinned Tsung. The black haired woman gave him a smirk,

"Don't call me "Sama" please." she scolded as she rolled up her sleeves and went to wash her hands. Her aides were a bit shocked and they all looked at each other a bit confused.

"But it's polite." muttered Lea, she grinned at them,

"That may be, but as far as I'm concerned all of us are equals. Got it?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

Mandy grinned and all four of them set off to work on breakfast, as the hour passed a wonderfully sweet smell started to waft about. Miranda was unable to resist the temptation to open the kitchen doors. She threw them open wide and let it cover the rest of the compound to wake up the men. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, six thirty. She figured they'd all be up within the next half hour; as she was putting plates out onto the tables she turned her head to the sudden sound of what appeared to be stampeding animals. A tad confused she peeked out the mess hall doors and looked to her right. She nearly screamed as she scrambled away from the doors to avoid being run over. A flock of men tried to push and shove their ways through the doors, if her heart wasn't beating a mile per second she would have found it funny. What she did find amusing was how she had become everyone's favorite in less then a day, she could almost guarantee though if she didn't know how to cook like she did, she'd be a nobody to them again.

As the soldiers settled down to eat Mandy retreated back into the kitchen, Tsung and his friends sat down with her and all four enjoyed their little corner of life. They talked some and Lea managed to bring up Mandy's hip, she gave him a nervous laugh and danced around the subject. eventually he understood that it was a sore topic for her and let it be. Soon the sounds of chatter began to die down in the mess hall, Mandy took this as a good time to start cleaning up. She slipped through the kitchen doors with the rest of her crew and was about to start working when she saw a very pink blur rush towards. Miranda jumped back a bit and reached out an arm to keep Yachiru from tumbling past her.

The little girl looked up at her with very big eyes as she came to a stop and grinned, "Good Morning Jingles!" she all but screamed, the black haired woman gave her a small smile and tousled her hair.

"Good morning Lieutenant," she said happily, "How was breakfast?"

"Oh it was really good Jingles," she replied, "Thank you so much!"

"That's my job," Miranda gave a small laugh, "My other job is to clean up, ok? We'll talk after I'm done, promise."

Yachiru nodded happily but that didn't stop her from following Miranda around, as she went about her work the black haired woman could almost feel Kenpachi's harsh gaze on her neck. She wanted to turn around and glare at him, she wanted to throw his head into a wall and wipe that glare from his face. But she stiffened her back and ignored him, or at least tried to. Back and forth between the Mess Hall and kitchen she went, cleaning up after the men. Eventually Yachiru got bored and went off to go play while Miranda did dishes and got started on lunch.

Soon everything had quieted down, everyone was off doing their own thing. Her kitchen aides promised to be back when lunch rolled around, leaving Mandy by herself. She stood in the middle of her kitchen contemplating on what she should do, she gave a small smile. She should bake, that was why Yachiru wanted her here for. She clanged around the cupboards looking for all her pots and pans, she thought she should start out making cookies. They were one of Yachiru's favorites and were more than likely to attract her attention.

As Miranda worked time seemed to fly by, when she had finished of the dough and put it on the pans and in the oven she realized it was almost noon. True to their word Tsung and his friends returned to help her set out lunch. Unlike breakfast the men weren't extraordinarily picky, Mandy threw out a couple of sandwiches and they ate it up. By the time lunch was done and over with Miranda had three batches of cookies done and they could be smelled all across the compound. She was about to start decorating when she noticed a pair of pink eyes peering at her through the kitchen door. Mandy gave her a smile and instantly the little girl bounced through the door and hopped up on the counter.

"They smell good Jingles!" She said happily as she grabbed a nearby tub of frosting, she popped open the lid and stuck a finger in. When it was sufficiently covered she put in her mouth,

"I'm glad," chuckled Mandy, "But save some frosting for the cookies, dear."

"OK!" the little girl beamed at the older woman as the two set to work. An hour turned into two, then to three. The only sound that could be heard was the soft humming of the pink haired little girl across from Mandy. She had a tongue stuck out in concentration as she caked blue frosting into little shapes and designs. For a moment the older woman looked up at her and smiled a bit, she felt happy again now that she had her purpose. Sure she didn't think she'd end up cooking for the entire Eleventh Squad, but she wasn't about to complain.

As the two continued decorating the cookies Miranda noticed the smell had also attracted a crowd of men. They stood outside the kitchen door, nervously looking in and staring longing at all the sweets lined on the counter. Mandy looked away for a bit, they hadn't been the nicest since she got here. She was sure they knew that but she wasn't about to hold a grudge. With a smile she turned back to them,

"Come on in," she waved at them cheerily, "There's plenty for everyone!"

They all looked at one another and slowly and silently they shuffled in. At first they observed her treats as if they had never seen anything like them before, but their attitudes changed after the first bite. There was an exchange of surprised grunts and soon she had a crowd sitting on the counters and chairs enjoying everything she had made. She was reintroduced to Ikkaku, who apologized for his earlier rude behavior. She met the feathered man, whose name was Yumachika. Miranda thought he was okay, though the man had a bad habit of calling her ugly. Ikkaku assured her it wasn't all that true, that he was very girly guy.

Eventually Mandy shooed everyone from her kitchen so she could get dinner ready and on the tables. Afterwards she cleaned up and by Yachiru's request wrapped up a large plate of cookies. She handed them to the small girl and, with a kiss on the forehead, sent the girl on her way. With a small sigh, she put her hands on her hips and smiled. She looked around for something to do before she decided to mop the Mess Hall floors.

* * *

Kenpachi Zaraki was in his office hunched over his desk, trying to get through this weeks paperwork. He didn't like doing it, which was why he usually put it off until the last minute. He scribbled his name here, read a complaint and tossed it, signed a transfer paper, and other papers that barely held his attention. He was so immersed he failed to notice a very pink blur bump into his desk. His paper work went flying every where and Kenpachi cursed loudly as he scrambled to gather them all up. When they were all jumbled onto his desk he took the time to glare at Yachiru. She just gave him a smile and she hopped onto his desk and held something under his nose,

"What the hell is that?" Kenpachi could almost taste the sugar rolling up his nose, whoever gave her sweets this time of the night was going to lose their head. As if putting Yachiru to bed normally wasn't bad enough, a sugar buzzed Yachiru was just hell. She giggled at his angry face,

"They're for you Ken-Chan." she declared, she set them down and he took the covering off the plate. Six cookies sat on the plate, perfectly round, with blue frosting decorations. He almost grimaced, he really didn't want them.

"I'll eat them later," he said as he looked up at her, the look on her face said that "No" wasn't an option. With an irritated sigh he picked one up and stared at it. With a shake he threw it in his mouth. It was to his surprise that he was forced to hold back a groan. The sweet seemed to melt in his mouth and roll smoothly down his throat. The taste was beyond anything he had ever tried. His surprise must have showed on his face because Yachiru smiled as she put the covering back on the plate,

"They're good, aren't they?" She jumped into Kenpachi's arms and gave him a hug. Before he could reply she leaped down and waved at him, "Then thank Jingles, she made them!" Without a second word Yachiru took off out the door leaving Kenpachi dumbfounded in his chair. He looked down at the plate, that woman had made that? He immediately pushed away the plate, he wanted to feel disgusted that he liked it.

Later that evening Kenpachi turned off the light in his office and left with a yawn. The moonlight filtered from the window behind the high backed chair. The paperwork was in a nice neat pile, ready to be delivered first thing in the morning. On the corner, with the cover torn off, was an empty plate with only a few crumbs left.

_A/N: Wow that took the longest time. Sorry about that guys, I finally got the time to sit down and write. But don't expect a lot of it anytime soon. I'll be starting college so I'll need to concentrate on that._

_So what did you think of this chapter. As an Added bonus, I'll give you guys a sneak preview of the next chapter!  
_

_**Miranda's back stiffened as her hands clenched at her sides, with a swift turn on her foot she stomped across the Mess Hall to the Captain who sneered at her. She didn't care if everyone was watching, she had had it with him. As she got closer Kenpachi stood to his full height, it didn't deter her one bit. She threw her finger in his face,**  
_

_**"I've got an idea," she spat out, she watched his eyes narrow, "How about you cook and clean for this pig-stye while I wear the big white coat and order YOU around! And I'll bet you I can do it better than you! "  
**_

_**The was a gasp and she clearly heard someone in the back mutter, "Holy Shit..."  
**_

_**Kenpachi bent down into her face, "Is that a threat?" he snarled  
**_

_**She gave his a venomous glare, "A Promise!"  
**_


	9. The Bet: Part 1

What I've been looking for  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 9  
The Bet: part 1

Miranda was seething inside, it was taking all of her self-control not to throw his head through a wall. One more joke, one more "Onna" comment and she was going to lose it. It was much later when she found out what it meant, Woman. Woman this, woman that. Yes she was woman, and if he wasn't careful Kenpachi Zaraki was going to hear her roar. With a low growl Mandy pounded into the bread dough she was working on, venting all of her frustration into her work. It had been about a month since she started her job as kitchen head and since then her day had gone from okay to downright tiring. Somehow she was being suckered into all the cleanup jobs and each one was a little more disgusting than the last. If she had to pick up after someone's lost limb one more time she was going to personally kill them herself.

And Kenpachi Zaraki wasn't helping, each day, sometime after his nap, he'd spar with his soldiers. She could hear his insane laughter all the way from her spot in the kitchen. And when he was done he'd walk into the mess hall, covering her perfectly clean floors with blood and demand he hand her a bottle of saké.

_That arrogant son-of-a-_

"Onna!" boomed a familiar and annoying voice. Miranda's back stiffened, she breathed deep to keep her temper in check, there was no need to let him get to her. With a sigh she wiped her hands and limped out to the Mess Hall. With an inward groan she grimaced as she saw the state of her beloved work. Blood covered the majority of the floor and the walls, like someone had swung their bloody weapon about. And the source of all her aggravation? He was sitting at the head of the room, his zanpakuto leaning on his leg. Thick red blood on his clothes and most of his face. The second their eyes met a hot tension filled the air, sparks could almost be seen between the two.

With a glare she stalked to the head of the room, around her there was a low buzz. At this point in time most of the men would have tried to break up the fight that was about to happen, but they weren't that desperate or that stupid. Kenpachi could kill them, but Miranda knew how to make their lives a living hell. As she neared him, their glares intensified to the point she was surprised they didn't set each other on fire. Why? Why her? What had she ever done to him to make him dislike her so much? When she reached his table she put her hands on her hips,

"What?" she snapped. To any other captain she'd been a lot nicer, but Kenpachi Zaraki wasn't worth it as far as she was concerned. The larger man threw an empty bottle of saké at her,

"More Sake Onna. After, the courtyard needs to be cleaned."

Miranda held back a twitch, kitchen head to squad maid. Gods she hated him, with one last sneer she turned to walk back to the kitchen. From behind her she heard,

"And clean this Mess Hall, this place is as disgusting as the food you make!"

Everyone tensed at the sound of breaking glass and looked at Miranda. The empty bottle of saké was a pile of shards at her feet, her head was facing the floor as her hands slowly clenched at her sides. Kenpachi just scoffed,

"Get moving Onna, I'm not paying you to just stand there!"

Miranda's back stiffened as she turned on her heel and stomped across the Mess Hall to the captain who sneered at her. Pay her, he was hardly paying her anything at all! Her face was pulled into a dangerous snarl, her usually calm ocean eyes were a fiery blue. She didn't care if everyone was watching, she had, had it with this man and his attitude. As she got closer Kenpachi stood to his full height. Much taller than anyone she knew and covered in blood, it'd frighten almost anyone. It didn't deter her one bit as she stood, once again, toe to toe with him. Angrily she flung a finger in his face,

"I've got an idea," she spat out, she watched his eyes narrow, "How about you cook and clean after this pig sty while I wear the big white coat and order _you_ around! And I'll bet I can do it better than you can!"

There was a loud gasp and from somewhere in the back she heard someone clearly say, "Holy Shit..."

Kenpachi bent down to her face, "Is that a threat?"

She gave him a venomous glare, "A promise!"

Suddenly the two were pushed apart, between them was Ikkaku and Yumachika,

"Alright let's not get ahead of ourselves," said the bald man as he gently pushed on Miranda's shoulders in a desperate bid to get her to calm down, "There's no need to threaten each other."

The black haired woman pushed aside the taller man, "I'm not threatening him, I made a bet."

Yumachika tried to hold back his Captain to no avail, once again they were in each others faces, "It's a stupid bet Onna." he snarled, she smirked at him.

"What, not man enough to take it?"

The room fell into dead silence, "What did you say...?"

"Are. You. Not. Man. Enough. To. Take. It?" she said deliberately. She smirked, she had called his manhood into question now, unless he wanted to prove to his men that he was a pansy, there was no way he was backing down now...

* * *

**_Several hours Later_**

"Alright," Ikkaku sighed as he placed his palms on the counter. He, Yumachika, Miranda and Kenpachi had been working out the rules to the bet, for the past several hours. It was late into the night, the bald man was tired and Yumachika was muttering under his breath about not getting his beauty sleep. the only light in the room was the swinging lamp above the counter, Kenpachi and Miranda sat across from each other, glaring. "This is the bet in a nutshell bet."

"You two are going to switch jobs, starting tomorrow. Miranda, you'll fill the captain's job, which is basically paperwork, since there is no Captain's meeting this week." Miranda nodded, as she crossed her arms. Ikkaku turned to Kenpachi, "Captain, you'll be doing all of Miranda's duties, which include cooking for the squad three times a day, general upkeep of the kitchen and mess hall, and other jobs that need to be done."

Yumachika stepped as he set down a long list, "These are the terms: Number one, if one of you decides enough is enough, then you are more than welcome to admit defeat. Number two, are your rewards. Miranda if you win, as stated by you, you are to get three days a week off and a raise. Captain, your reward is Miranda's full cooperation, no complaints. She does what you want, when you want, and she doesn't give you any lip about it."

Yachiru jumped up onto the table next, "Now don't forget, you can't get help from anyone for whatever reason. Ken-Chan, Jingles starts early every morning, which means you have to be up like her. I set the alarm clock and I'll make sure you're up too. Jingles, Ken-Chan usually gets up but sometimes he likes to sleep in, but he's always up before noon."

Miranda and Kenpachi nodded, Ikakku eyed the two nervously, "Now shake hands on it, and let's go to bed. The bet starts when you wake up first thing in the morning."

_A/N: I know it seems a bit short, but this is also part one of a long chapter of general shenanigans and problems, I'm starting on part two right now. You guys had to know the two were going to get into something like this, right? ^^_

_I kinda need some help though, can you guys give me some ideas on what kind of trouble they may run into? My imagination hasn't been the greatest lately.  
_

_Also, another big favor. I kinda wanna know if someone can draw out the scene between Miranda and Kenpachi, when she makes the bet. I'm just curious on what someone else sees, is all. I don't have any kind of payment, so if you don't want to its cool. Any way thanks for reading and let me know what you think.  
_

_2thestarsandabove  
_


	10. The Bet: Part 2

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 10  
The Bet: Part 2

_**Now for the chapter you've all been waiting waiting for. Mwuhahahaha! So we'll start with Kenpachi first, since he has to get up extra early...**_

The sun was justing touching the sky, the garden was still and quiet as two doors opened. Kenpachi rubbed his eyes and yawned, he stumbled down the stairs with his Haori in hand. His hair was swept back and he wore only his Uniform. Miranda stepped out of her bedroom and breathed in the fresh morning air, in her hand was a mop and with a smirk she limped down the stairs into the garden to meet Kenpachi. Yumachika and Ikakku stood side by side with their arms crossed, looking more tired than ever.

Miranda and Kenpachi stopped when they met each other in the middle, the larger captain managed to give a weak glare while she just gave him a devilish smile and held out her mop. He swiped it from her hand and he slowly held out his Haori. She deftly grabbed it from his grip and slipped it over her shoulders, the mere size of it swamped her small figure but she just kept smiling.

"I expect my breakfast ready and on the table by seven please, and make me my morning green tea with sugar. Oh and if you find yourself a little lost," she said as she stepped aside for him, he gave a low growl, "I always find that the lists help. Toodles." Kenpachi stalked off towards the kitchen while Miranda gave Ikakku and Yumachika a small wave and walked off back to her room.

How had he gotten himself into this? Kenpachi rubbed the back of his head, she had called him out on his manhood, the one thing that was sure to get to him. He looked down at the mop in his hands, he was screwed. But one thought made him grin, she didn't know the first thing about being Captain of this squad, what it called for her to turn into. He doubted she'd make the day. Finally he turned the corner to the kitchen and ducked through the door.

The kitchen was a pristine white, neat, and very empty. Kenpachi couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his stomach as he tossed aside the mop. What had she said, if she was lost she found the lists helpful? The Captain began to rummage around for the damn thing until he found it stacked neatly in a drawer. It was organized by day and month and he had to stop to think what day it was. When he found the correct one, he flipped to it's page and found a detailed list of what they were having that morning. His jaw nearly dropped when he saw how much he had to make, more than twelve batches of scrambled eggs which consisted of a dozen cartons. Not to mention the toast, bacon, biscuits, assorted fruits, sweet rolls, and other foods he had no idea existed. And that was just food, the beverage list was beyond belief as well. Kenpachi looked up at the clock, he only had three hours to make it all.

* * *

After she saw Kenpachi off to the kitchen Miranda swept back into her room to enjoy a well deserved rest. She draped the Haori over the end of her bed and snuggled under the covers. Unfortunately her sleep was soon over as noises from outside the hall woke her up, she glanced over at her clock and found that it was six thirty. She stretched and got up to take a shower and ready herself for the day. What did Kenpachi do, not only in general but for the squad? She knew he was generally called upon when there was Hollow trouble, but what else did her do? She contemplated what her job requirements were as she slipped the large white coat over her shoulders. Making one lest check that every charm was in place in her hair, Miranda left her room and headed down to the Mess Hall.

She honestly couldn't wait to see how he did with breakfast. He didn't know the first thing about what it was like cooking and cleaning for this band of men. As she drifted closer towards her destination a distinct burning smell filled the air. She snorted and covered her mouth as she tried to keep from laughing. It wasn't even seven and he had already screwed up, Miranda composed herself and walked into the Mess Hall, the low buzz among the men turned silent as she walked in. They eyed her differently than they had before, almost as if they were sizing her up. She gave them harsh looks as she made her way up to the head table and sat down next to Yachiru.

"Good Morning Jingles," she gave a huge grin and a giggle, "I mean Captain Jingles!" Miranda gave a small chuckle and ruffled the little girl's hair,

"Jingles is just fine." she looked up to the table and calmly inspected it, "So what's the damage report?"

Yachiru sighed, "Ken-chan's doing okay so far, but he burned some bacon, a couple batches of eggs, and a lot of the toast."

Miranda tried to hide her snort as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, "How do you burn toast?" she muttered as the kitchen door opened with a bang. Kenpachi stalked out with a cup of steaming tea, he looked slightly tired and his hair had a frazzled and stressed look to it. _Hmph, _she thought as he came up to the table, _not as easy as it looks now is it?_ They gave each other glares as he stooped down and set the cup in front of her,

"Just you wait," he muttered, "you'll get yours."

She just smirked, "Having fun yet?"

Kenpachi gave a low growl in his throat and turned on his heel and stomped off back to the kitchen. Miranda couln't stop the triumphant smile as she sipped on her tea, "Good Morning Captain," came a firmiliar voice, she looked up to see Ikkaku take a seat next to her along with his feathered friend.

"Miranda is just fine."

The bald man smirked as he looked on the table, "Not doing so good, is he?"

"By the end of the day, he'll know how I feel." she said in a low voice, her companion gave her a concerned side glance but shrugged.

"So umm, just thought I'd tell ya. There's a bunch of paperwork that needs to be done and you have afternoon sparing with the soldiers."

Miranda's eyes widened as she nearly choked on her tea, "Afternoon what?!" she squeaked, Ikkaku gave her a sad smile,

"Sparring, it's kinda part of the job description. Keeps the soldiers in shape and the Captain entertained."

Miranda sighed, "Of course he'd be entertained, you people are crazy..."

"That's part of the job description too." Her bald companion laughed as he dug into the food, Miranda grinned and did the same. Granted it wasn't the best meal she ever had, but it was good enough. "After Breakfast I'll point you to the Captain's office, about one O'clock head out to the training courtyard for sparring." Mandy groaned, she wasn't looking forward to it at all.

* * *

Breakfast wasn't as big a disaster than he thought it would have been, after a couple of tries Kenpachi managed to get a good batch of eggs on the table. The bacon, as he found out, needed constant watching, and the toast didn't seem to like him at all, because it had this bad habit of burning on him. Afterwards, as everyone was eating, he picked at what was left, and started to fill up the sink. He looked at all the dishes he had to do and he almost cringed at the mess waiting for him out in the Cafeteria. When the water was hot and soapy he grabbed what he could and ran it through.

Two and a half hours later he had the kitchen decent looking with a couple of pans soaking in the sink, meanwhile he was going back and forth between the kitchen and Mess Hall bringing in dirty plates and dishes. Leftover food ended getting tossed though he was a tad reluctant to do so, he had worked his ass off making it. He felt a little under appreciated as he saw all his hard work going in the trash.

He looked at the clock and saw it was a quarter to ten, depending on the day he'd either be napping or maybe getting a headstart on all his paperwork. With a growl he stacked the dishes next to the sink and started to work on the pans. He ran them through the dish water and set them in the drying rack. From behind me he heard a door open and he turned his head to see who it was. He watched Miranda, wearing his Haori on her shoulders, look around at her kitchen. Her eyes landed on him and she gave him a small smile, almost sympathetic looking. He turned back to look down into the sink; okay so her job wasn't the greatest, or the easiest but it didn't give the right to be a complete bitch.

"What do you want?" he snapped as he looked back, the sympathetic look was gone and replaced by a cold glare,

"Someone puked in Mess Hall," she snapped back, "and make sure to have all the dishes cleaned and dry, and don't forget to put them back. And when you're done, scrub the bathrooms, and clean up the courtyard, it's a sess pool out there!" she gave him one last glare. Before he could retort she swept out of the room, Kenpachi gave a growl. As if she couldn't turn into more of a bitch.

* * *

Miranda limped down the halls as she tried to cool down her temper, she had felt a little sorry for him. Having to do all those dishes by himself, at least she had a little help. Then he had to turn into a dick and ruin it. She arrived at a large double door, like Captains bedroom it had the Squad eleven symbol on it and she slid it open. The office was a large room with a desk and high back chair at the far end. Behind that was a large picture window showing the Sparring courtyard.

As she got closer and closer to the desk, Miranda noticed the huge stack of paperwork piled on the desk and stacked on the floor. What had this man been doing for a month?! As she took in the sight she felt a pit form inside her stomach, she was supposed to do it all?! With a grimace she sat herself at the desk and had to stop herself from crying at all the work she had to do,

"Here." Ikkaku came around the largest stack and handed her a stamp, "It's the Captain's signature, just sign what you think is appropriate." With that he left her, with a sigh she got started.

Several hours passed and she wasn't even a third of the way through. Mostly because she took the time to read what half of these were about. They seemed to be made of transfer papers, daily logs, and a lot of complaints. It was nearing one when she heard a knock on the door, she was currently reading a complaint about a group of soldiers that had gotten drunk and defaced public property and had done ofther lewd actions. To be honest she was disgusted to call these men soldiers.

"Hey Captain," this time it was Yumachika, Miranda looked up then at the clock. Was it time for sparring already? To be honest she wasn't looking forward to it. She got up slowly feeling a couple bones pop and her back crack. Slowly she limped past the feathered man and made her way to the courtyard. "Nervous?"

Mandy gave a shrug, "A bit, but what do I have to prove?" A hand landed on her shoulder and brought her to a sudden stop,

"Everything." stated Yumachika, the only time she had seen him look so serious was when he was talking about hair products, "This is squad eleven, made of nothing but fighters. It means everything, all the respect they have for you is only because you take good care of them. When it comes to a fight, they'll never have your back unless you prove you're worth it."

She had never thought about it like that, Miranda was silent the rest of the walk. Prove herself, to them? She guessed it sounded legit, she had to earn all their respect. Did Kenpachi have to do this too, or did he do it all through fear. She supposed it was a bit of both, the two rounded a corner and she was surprised to find the courtyard nearly over run with men. They parted as she made her way towards the grassy area, she slipped off the Haori. It'd only slow her down, as she draped it over a railing she felt someone tug on her sleeve. She looked down to see Yachiru holding Haha Kuma in her hands.

"I got this from your room," she said as she handed it over, "good luck."

"Thank you." she stepped out and as she faced them all , she slung her Zanpakuto on her back, "Well who's first?"

A man in his mid forties stepped out, his sword in hand. He had slowly graying red hair. The two faced off as he slowly unsheathed his weapon. It was tense for a minute or two as Miranda slid into an easier position. She took out Haha Kuma and held it in front of her, it was tense for a moment or two. There was no movement at all, it was nothing but dead silence.

Miranda barely had a moment before he charged forward, she quickly brought up her sword to block his attack and his mere weight behind the weapon pushed her to her knees. She gave a grunt as pain darted up her side and she pushed him back. She thrust forward quickly but he rolled out of the way and brought his Zanpakuto swinging towards her head. He would have cleanly decapitated her if she hadn't ducked. He was much faster than she had anticipated, and she was paying for it. She bounced back several feet and tried to observe him so more, but he wasn't giving her a chance. She dodged a clean swipe but didn't make the next. As she went to roll out of the way his sword caught the fabric of her Shihakusho and completely tore it off. If she wasn't already breathing hard, Miranda would have turned beat red. Inside she was somewhat glad she had decided to wear a bra that supported her breast because she was giving the men quite and eyeful.

But they weren't what they were staring at, covering her back and sides were scars. Scars from where she had surgery after her accident, scars from many fights. The worst run ran from the top of her left shoulder to the middle of her stomach, she had caught a knife there and had nearly died. She was also a lot more muscled and toned than what the others thought, and all watched as she staggered.

_A bears teeth are not her only weapons little one_ Whispered a soft voice in her head. She looked down at Haha Kuma, she was right. Her Zanpakuto was only try to protect to her from further harm.

"I'm sorry," muttered Miranda as she sheathed her sword and unslung the scabbard from her back, she tossed it to a nearby soldier who easily caught it. Mandy took a deep breath and waited for her opponents next move. As he charged forward, she easily kicked him and hit him squarely in the chest. Hard. She heard the air leave his lungs as he flew backwards and hit the ground. She darted forward as he struggled to get up, as he got to his knees she jumped and slammed a foot into his chest and easily flung his body to the opposite end of the courtyard. This time he flipped over and landed on his feet, but he was obviously winded. He was now taking her seriously.

Kenpachi wiped his brow as he pushed the last of the tables back into position. He had cleaned and dried the dishes, and put them all back. Albeit probably not in the right spots but they were put away. He had scrubbed the bathrooms top to bottom, which was something he never wanted to do again, and the courtyard had never looked better except for the bits of trash he had stashed somewhere else cause he had no idea what to do with it.

Lunch had been served and easily cleaned up and now he had a little free time before dinner. He popped his back and set the mop against the wall. It was a little after one which meant the men were sparring, he gave a grin. He wondered how Gimpy was doing, she was probably crying and begging to give up by now. There was no way she'd make through all of that. He left the Mess Hall and down to the training courtyard to see what was going on. He had arrived just in time to see her dodge a very well aimed decapitation and bounce away. He pushed his way through his men and found Yachiru, Ikkaku, and Yumachika watching with concern. As her opponent charge her she ducked the first swipe but was too slow for the next. All watched as her uniform was torn clean off, showing her ample chest.

Even then, he had to admit she was better looking than what he gave credit for, and definitely more in shape. But what caught his eyes more than her breast was the scars running over her body. She had been in more than a few fights, that much was obvious. She was breathing hard as she staggered, she only seemed a little concerned about her current state. She looked down at her Zanpakuto and muttered something as she sheathed it. She then tossed it to a nearby soldier and once again faced off with her adversary.

She looked serious now, once again he charged but this time she easily dodged him. As she ducked beneath his blade her palm flew out and hit him in the chest, several men cringed as they heard the air leave him and watched him go flying back. As he made impact she darted forward and jumped as he got to his knee, her left foot made contact with his chest and she buried him into the ground, she then used her momentum to send him flying the other way. this time he managed to land on his feet and he took a moment to catch his breath.

This was getting serious now, it was a tense moment before they both leaped forward. Her opponent swung his sword down as she came in close, a quick movement helped her avoid it. She firmly planted her feet and executed a perfect roundhouse kick to his face, sending him to the ground but he managed to quickly get up. He thrust forward and she grabbed his wrist, snapped it down causing him to drop his weapon. After she successfully disarmed him she twisted his arm which caused him to get in closer and she brought her elbow into his face hard. There was a loud crunch as his nose broke, but before he could crumple she brought him up, kicked his chest , used the last of her forward momentum to send him slamming into the ground. He groaned as she struggled to get up but he eventually dropped to the ground. She had won.

She was breathing heavy as she turned around and faced them, "Who's next?"

_A/N: and that my children is the end of part two. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it and part three will be coming out soon. And I know I don't write the best fight scenes but at least I tried. So tell me what you think and part three will be out soon._


	11. The Bet: Part 3

What I've been looking for  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 11  
The Bet: Part 3

_**So we left off last time at the end of Miranda's fight, the men are speechless because she basically kicked someone's ass, despite her being handicapped. So we'll see everyone's reaction!**_

"Who's next?!" Her shoulders heaved as Miranda struggled to even her breathing; she staggered up to the railing and supported herself on it. Sweat lined her face as a jug was pushed under nose. She gave Ikkaku a harsh look, but he just laughed as he shook it,

"It's water." Without hesitation she grabbed it and started to chug it down. As she handed the jug back she noticed his eyes weren't where they were supposed to be, she quickly snapped her fingers in his face. He looked at her,

"My eyes are up here Ikkaku." Scolded Mandy, the bald man gave a sheepish grin as everyone else laughed nervously,

"Sorry," he said as he rubbed the back of his head, "But can you honestly blame me?"

Miranda smiled as she adjusted herself, "No, but in all seriousness who's ready for an ass whipping?" Everyone stepped back as she looked around with triumphant grin, "Pussies..." She muttered as she grabbed the Haori hanging on the rail, she threw it over her shoulder and turned to walk back to the office. From behind her she heard the third seat yell out,

"Hey, cool tattoo by the way!" She stopped midstep and looked back at him, Miranda opened her mouth to say something but she hesitated. With a shake of her head she left, leaving the man more confused than ever, "What did I say?" Yumachika shrugged.

Kenpachi saw the look on her face when she looked back, her defense had gone up in an second the moment her tattoo was mentioned. What was she hiding? She turned to corner and disappeared from view, with a snort Kenpachi went back to the kitchen to get a head start on dinner. He had looked at the list and was somewhat thankful he knew how to make it. How hard could Grilled chicken, with a vegetable, and three other sides be?

* * *

After finding a new top Miranda headed back to the Captains office to try and finish up all the paperwork. Three hours later she was halfway through, after giving up on reading each and every one of them; she looked up when she heard on knock on the door. The bald head of the third seat popped in and grinned at her,

"Hey, I'm taking a few of the rookies out for a training exercise. Do ya wanna tag along?"

Mandy looked down at all the paper work she still had left to do, Why not?" she shrugged as she stood and stretched feeling her back pop in several places. Ikkaku grinned at her as he threw his Zanpakuto over his shoulder and walked off to the barrack gates to wait while Mandy got her sword. A few minutes later she pushed her way through a few men to meet the third seat and his friend; he looked over the rag tag group and nodded.

"Alright, this might be a training exercise but this is also a serious deal. We've been called out to Northern Rukon to take care of a Hollow Problem. It shouldn't be anything big but in case it is let's make a few things clear: no one tries to be a hero, so don't do anything stupid. Secondly, listen to what your superiors tell you; we have the experience. And lastly, don't run unless we tell you to. The last thing you want is to attract attention to yourself, and not to mention it's just cowardly."

There was silence among the men as they took in their instructions, Ikkaku was dead serious about what he said and they all knew it. Sure that his advice had sunk in the bald man turned on his heel and started to walk off, one by one every one fell in line behind him as the black haired woman strode up next to his tall form, "That was quite the pep talk." She commented,

"I suppose, we never had to do this at first. In the beginning we had the ones who knew what they were doing. Then somehow we ended up with all the dumbasses and we found ourselves stating the obvious over and over again. Some of this is basic common sense."

Miranda gave a smirk, "I didn't know common sense was a requirement, from what I've seen so far."

"Hey," came Ikkaku's indignant cry, he lightly punched her in the arm, "we not all fighting brutes you know. We have minds of our own."

"I know," chuckled Miranda as she pushed him back, "but I had to give you shit about it."

Ikkaku laughed as they passed several streets and toward a small house not far from the northern gate. Yumachika held open the door as everyone passed through into a dark tunnel that lead out into the forest on the other side of the gate, as the last soldier was ready to close the gate something small and pink rushed past him and almost barreled into Miranda. The older woman caught her shoulders and stopped Yachiru, who looked up happily at her.

"What are you doing here?" Ikkaku asked harshly, his eyes narrowed in irritation,

"Why do you care Pachinko head? I can do whatever I want." Yachiru stuck her tongue out at him only to have it snatched by a pair of deft fingers. She looked up to a very upset Miranda,

"Stick your tongue out at him again and you'll find yourself without one." She warned, "And if I hear you call him names like that again, I will wash your mouth out with soap. Are we clear?" There was dead silence as everyone watch, in shock, as Yachiru nodded at her. Miranda let go of her tongue and turned quickly on Ikkaku, "And don't be so rude to her next time, that's the reason why she calls you names!" she snapped, the bald man threw his hands up in surrender as she turned back to the little girl.

"Now, what are you doing here?"

"Well I wanted to go along with you guys; it's boring back at home." She whined, she widened her eyes as far as they could go. Miranda shook her head as she looked away, she couldn't deny that it was a tad quiet, with Kenpachi cooking and all. As she looked back down she sighed and gave a curt nod, but as the little girl went to jump with glee the older woman grabbed her by the arm,

"One toe out of line, young lady, and I'm sending you home. Understand?" Yachiru nodded quickly and soon the team was off again, heading deeper into the forest. They followed a narrow trail forcing them into a single line. Farther and farther they went, the once peaceful silence becoming eerie and tense. Miranda swallowed nervously as the narrow trail widened to a big open glade. A breeze swept through causing the trees and grass to sway,

"That's weird," muttered Ikkaku, "The nearby village said this hollow likes to hang out here. Keep your eyes open!" he barked and they slowly fanned out. Miranda, Yachiru, Yumachika, and Ikkaku started to the far side of the glade.

"Does anyone feel…." Mandy shuttered a bit, "like they're being watched?"

"Yes," replied Yumachika, "that means it's nearby and it knows we're here."

As they crossed the center a chill ran up Miranda's back and caused her to look up. As she did a large white blur swooped down towards them, the black haired woman gasped and grabbed Yachiru and bounced away just as a set of talons landed where she had just been. In an instant Zanpakuto were out and ready as the avian hollow gave a bone wracking cry. It was larger than a three story building and its length, including the wings, was a big as two buses.

"Remember, aim for the mask. Take it out in one swipe!"

Ikkaku ran forward and jumped towards the Hollow and tried to cut the mask, but the large creature was already up in the air and with its powerful wings sent him flying backwards. One after another, they all tried to battle their target only to buffeted by powerful winds created by the monsters wings or to have the creature fly out of range. The men were breathing hard as their target circled above them, toying with its prey,

"How the hell do we beat something like that?" asked one, Miranda gave it a seconds thought,

"We need a distraction!" _We need help, we need a Captain…. _She thought frantically, The Hollow above them gave another cry and dipped in the sky plummeting toward the ground. "Yachiru," the little girl jumped as Miranda addressed her. The entire time she had been sitting back, out of the way; "Go back to the Seireitei and get help.

"Help?"

"Yes, help." Exasperated she watched as the little girl stood and quickly disappeared into the forest. So distracted by the Lieutenants departure she failed to notice a pair of talons swooping in.A black shadow crossed her figure and in a moment's notice she ditched the haori, barely escaping the Hollow's snatch. It swopped back into the air and started to circle above them again. Yumachika flash stepped over to her as she tried to catch her breath. She was wincing in pain having landed wrong when she avoided the attack.

"Are you ok?" asked the feathered male as he put a hand on her shoulder, she gave snort,

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She gave a heavy sigh; she was surprised none of them had been killed. What was that Hollow doing, obviously toying with them, but she had a feeling its reasons were more than just a game of cat and mouse, "Whether you people like it or not, I sent Yachiru to go get help."

"I think it's for the best, any captain could take out an avian easily."

Everyone's heads were leaned back, watching their target in anticipation for its next move. They tensed as it dipped down again toward the ground, they all scattered as it swooped across the ground it's talons out ready to grab an unsuspecting victim.

A shrill cry sounded throughout the glade as everyone watched in horror as the Hollow dragged Miranda higher and higher into the sky. She started to curse loudly, struggling against her captor. Its claws dug into her skin, causing her to bleed. As they reached the tree tops Mandy took the time to look down, she paled considerably. If this thing dropped her, there was no way she was coming out alive.

* * *

Kenpachi, long hair frazzled, killed the stove top flame and removed the hot pan from the heat. He walked away to let it cool down before he would set it out for dinner. It had been an hour and everything was eerily quiet. With sleeves rolled up, he stopped at the kitchen sink to wash a few dishes, he didn't like it. There was a knot in his stomach, why was he worried? He never usually acted like this, but no one had bothered him, not even _her_. Which was odd, he was expecting her in here to start gloating.

As Kenpachi rinsed off a plate his keen hearing picked up the sound of rapid footsteps. They were Yachiru's, he looked up and reached for a dish towel to dry his hands. She burst in, her eyes wide with fear. His heart stopped as she frantically looked for him with his Zanpakuto in hand.

"Ken-Chan!" she screamed, she ran around the island in the middle of the kitchen and grabbed his hand, tugging on it incessantly.

"Yachiru what's wrong?"

"Jingles, Baldy, and Yun-Yun, need your help!" She pulled him out the kitchen door and down the hall toward the Barrack gates, "They can't beat it, it's really big and they can't beat it." Kenpachi suddenly remembered, the nearby village in northern Rukon had complained about a hollow, Ikkaku was supposed to take the rookies out for an exercise. Maybe this Hollow was more than they could handle, he gabbed Yachiru by the collar of her shirt and set her on his shoulder as he grabbed his sword. He started running, leaving nothing but dust in his wake. As he neared the barrack gates he saw the kitchen aides and barely stopped as he ran past them,

"Get in the kitchen now!" Bet or not, all three men knew he was in full captain mode now. They nodded as he dashed out the gates and towards the secret exit towards the Northern woods. He burst through the door and was out the tunnel in mere seconds, Yachiru pointed to the path they had taken and he was off. Ahead he heard frantic voices and the sound of screaming, he cleared the tree line to total chaos. Everyone was looking up in horror and as the Captain followed their eyesight he realized who was screaming.

High above them was the Hollow, an avian, and in its talons was her. It was squeezing the life out of her as she struggled violently against its tight grip. She thrashed back and forth, kicking her legs. She started to curse inventively after a while as it circled the air above them.

"Captain." Ikkaku and Yumachika rushed over to them, he gave a growl and they stopped in fear. They could tell their Captain was not happy about the current situation. He knew if he killed the Hollow now, the woman would fall to her death, there had to be a way to get it lower to the ground, to get it to drop her. He snarled as he grabbed Yachiru and dropped her, she looked at him and ran off toward the tree line, knowing that was where he wanted her to be. He was about to step forward when something white on the ground in front of him caught his eye.

His Captain's Haori lay abandoned on the ground, he bent over and picked it up. He regarded it for a moment before he swung it around and slipped it on. A familiar feeling erupted in his chest as he unsheathed his Zanpakuto. A wolfish grin spread across his face as his eyes narrowed, a breeze swept through the glade as a low laugh erupted in his throat.

* * *

Miranda was on the verge of passing out as her struggling grew weaker and weaker. The Hollows claws tightened unbearably around her causing her to gasp in sudden pain. She looked up at the Hollow and her face turned white as she saw its mouth slowly open. It was getting ready to eat her and she erupted in another fit of screams and cursing as she thrashed about with renewed vigor. A vice like grip crushed her chest and caused all the air to rush out of her lungs; her vision blurred as she slumped over. She closed her eyes in defeat but they snapped open when she heard a familiar maniacal laugh.

For the first time she was happy to see Kenpachi Zaraki flying up toward them, Zanpakuto back and ready to strike. As he neared the Hollows claws constricted around her, causing an ear shattering scream as several of her ribs cracked. Her vision blurred again as she heard a shrill whistle and the sound of a low mournful cry. Miranda started to black out as the Hollow disappeared and dropped her, she felt the air rush past her as she fell. As she stared at the waning sky she thought she saw Kenpachi diving towards her, arms outstretched. As her world went dark she briefly felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and she felt no more.

_A/N: And so concludes part three, what did you guys think? Let me know and I'll get started on part four as soon as possible. _


	12. The Bet: Aftermath

What I've Been Looking for  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 12  
The Bet: Aftermath

The room was small, typical for a hospital room. Kenpachi Zaraki was leaning against a wall looking down at her. An hour ago she was near death as he captured her falling body in his arms. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow, a thin line of blood drained from her mouth. As he stood, he slightly registered thought that she felt good in his arms. He immediately killed the thought before it snowballed. Shouldering her weight carefully he ran back to the Seireitei to get her to the Hospital, he didn't even bother to see if his men were following him. He bounded past the tree line and felt a familiar weight land on his shoulder. He glanced quickly at Yachiru, whose face was taught with concern as they raced through the secret entrance.

Several minutes later he burst through the Fourth Squad Hospital doors, breathing heavily. The healers took one good look at him and the woman in his arms and they moved quickly. They put her on a gurney and wheeled her away, not once talking to the Captain and his obviously scared Lieutenant. Minute after minute they waited outside her room, eventually joined Ikkaku and Yumachika. Finally the doors slowly opened and they were allowed in. Her face was no longer pale and her breathing was normal. From what he could see, she had bandages around her chest.

"She'll be fine," said a young healer with red hair. She was reading her chart, "She has a couple of broken ribs, so rest is a top priority." Kenpachi grunted as he leaned up against the wall, he didn't care if he had to wait hours to days, he'd be there when she woke up. They needed to talk. Slowly but surely everyone left, including Yachiru who had complained she was hungry. He gave her a curt reply, telling her dinner should be done back home. She looked at him and then finally hugged him and left with Ikkaku and Yumachika.

And that was where he found himself now, waiting patiently for her to wake up. As he looked over her, he contemplated what he would tell her. That she had been an idiot? She had unnecessarily put herself in danger; he damn well she could fight but it was a spar. Against a hollow like that Avian, she could have easily been killed, and she nearly was. At that moment Kenpachi froze, why did he care so much if she died? He frowned as he thought about it, okay so he had a grudging respect for the woman. She made the most of her job, even with her handicap. She managed to keep the Mess Hall, the kitchen, and even the courtyard clean; all the while making meals three times a day twenty four-seven. In a weird way he understood why she was so pissed off at him sometimes, she worked hard.

But she didn't understand what it meant to be a captain, what the dangers were, and what it meant for her to be. She had gotten only a taste and had almost died in the process. It wasn't the safest job in the world, the obscene amounts of paperwork, training new recruits. Making sure everyone was up to par with the Court Guard Squad standards. The Captain meeting were a bitch and a half, everyone was always out to get each other. He only came here because he wanted to fight, to find the strongest fighters and challenge them. He loved the thrill of battle, the smell and feel of blood and gore. It was what made him feel most alive when he was fighting for his own life. She couldn't even handle a simple Hollow.

A soft cough to his right brought Kenpachi out of his reverie; Captain Retsu Unohana had the woman's medical chart in her hand. As she looked at it she frowned, the eleventh squad Captain knew he was in for it now.

"Do I want to know how this happened?" she asked in a low but pleasant voice. Kenpachi rubbed the back of his neck as he averted his eyes; she was the only one that made him slightly nervous. He knew she could kick his ass if she so pleased to.

"Training Exercise…" he muttered,

"A training exercise, you say? But she supposed to be a cook, why was she fighting?"

"Hey," he snapped, "She started it alright; she wanted to make some stupid bet-"

"And of course your oversized ego couldn't resist." Retsu replied in monotone, it was very obvious she wasn't pleased. Kenpachi opened his mouth to argue back, but thought better against it and snapped it shut. "I hope you both learned a lesson," she looked at him sternly and with a small huff she turned her back. Before she left she looked back at him, "I don't want her to be in here again, are we clear?"

Kenpachi looked away and muttered incoherently under his breath, with a shake of her head Retsu left him alone with her. Ever so slowly evening fell and still he waited, he briefly wondered if he was being a tad too strange but he dismissed it. This was important, and could not wait until she was out of the hospital. As lights flickered on, he crossed his arms and sighed. Then, from the bed, he heard a small strangled groan

* * *

Miranda's head hurt, hell everything hurt. She turned her head and groaned in pain. Where was she; the last thing she remembered was the flying Hollow, everything in her body being crushed, then falling. She opened her groggy eyes and was slightly surprised to stare up at a white ceiling.

"About damn time you woke up Onna." Came a deep rumbling voice, Mandy's gaze snapped to the end of her bed, she eyed Kenpachi Zaraki warily. They stared at each other but unlike before, where there was open hostility, they seemed to see each other in a different sort of light. Finally she looked away,

"So have you come to gloat?" she whispered, she heard him snort,

"No," A loud scraping sound filled the room; Kenpachi dragged a chair next to her bed. With a huff he slumped in and began to rub the bridge of his nose. For minutes it was silent until finally Miranda huffed,

"Look if you want me to apologize for being a bitch, you can forget it."

The black haired Captain's eyes snapped open and narrowed at her, "And that's what pisses me off, your fucking attitude." He growled, she scowled at him,

"My attitude?" With great effort she propped herself up on her elbows and struggled to a sitting position. She winced in pain as the air rushed out of her lungs. It was very hard to breath but that didn't stop her from throwing a finger in his face, "If you want my respect, asshole, then you've gotta give what you want to receive." She hissed; Kenpachi batted away her finger as his eye color deepened; he opened his mouth to argue with her. However she quickly cut him off, "I treat you like an ass because you are one. You seem to forget who it was who stopped your lieutenant from running away from home."

"She wouldn't have thought about it if it weren't for you," he snapped back, she frowned,

"So it's my fault for something that was out of my control?" Kenpachi stopped, he knew he stepped into dangerous territory but she was on a roll now, "My fault for liking a sweet little girl, my fault she likes what I make her. My fault _she _wanted me to live in your hellhole of a squad!?"

Kenpachi slumped into the chair, she got him. He sighed, he had enough and so had Miranda. She hurt, she was tired, and she wanted to sleep. But it wasn't going to happen unless the two came to an understanding.

"What now?" he asked; Miranda looked down at her hands,

"Something changes, or I leave." She said firmly, she looked up at him and was a tad surprised when he nodded,

"Fine, what is it you want?"

"I want the weekends off," she said quietly, it wasn't her original number, but they had both lost this bet so she figured she could make a little leeway for him. "And a raise."

She watched as he considered it, finally he nodded. She breathed a sigh of relief; she had no desire to leave the Squad. She had come to live with how damn dysfunctional it was and to be honest, unlike before, she had made friends. Feeling a bit brave she glanced at him, "I'd also like to see a few changes." She muttered, he looked at her harshly but didn't stop her.

"I hate cleaning up after you pigs, it's disgusting. I want plates stacked neatly on the table when you guys are done, it'll make clean up a lot easier. Also, I'm not the Squad maid; I'm done cleaning up after your sparring matches. You have people for that job, use em'."

"Fine."

It was quiet for another moment, Kenpachi was looking anywhere but her. She was staring at her hands again, "It's not easy, is it?" she whispered, he glanced at her, her blue eyes bore into his green ones, "Watching all of your hard work go down the trash?"

"Yeah…" She was right; it had kinda hurt to see it all being thrown away. Like it wasn't appreciated at all. Inside he cringed slightly at the thought of her being right; saying nothing he heaved himself from the chair and put it back where it belonged. As he walked to the door Miranda went to lie back down,

"Get all the rest you can, Onna, you're going back to work tomorrow." He said, her sharp voice came behind him,

"Hey, I have a name. It's Miranda, start using it." She retorted, he gazed at her from over his shoulder,

"Whatever." And without another, he left flicking off the light in the process. She scowled at where he had been as the room was plunged into darkness. As she lay on her back she found it was much easier to breathe. So they had finally come to an understanding, but if he wanted her respect he was going to have to earn it. Mandy slowly closed her eyes, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

_A/N: not as long as I would have liked it, but it gets to the point. And there concludes the bet, hope you all liked it and stay tuned for the next chapter._


	13. Progress

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 13  
Progress

True to Kenpachi's word she was released from the hospital, after several tests and lectures, and started work as soon as she got back. She still felt sore from yesterday, and breathing was a bit of a hassle but the rewards she reaped were worth it. Word had gotten around about upset Miranda had been about the state the squad men left the Mess Hall in most days, the very afternoon she returned everyone's plates were stacked neatly on the table, silverware in large tubs next to them. The floor was spotless, as was the tables themselves. She damn near burst into tears of happiness.

A week had passed since the bet, and Miranda had never been happier. Her work was so much easier now, and not to mention easier on everyone else. She got work done faster so she could spend more time cooking for Yachiru, as she was meant to in the first place. Most of her afternoons were spent baking cookies with the little girl, laughing and giggling; inside she felt happy again.

And Kenpachi Zaraki? She had to admit he was becoming less and less of a problem; they tended to avoid each other. Neither wanted to start a fight they knew either couldn't win. It was a Friday when they bumped into each other for the first time in a week. She was looking down at her list in her hands, running off all that she needed for that night all the while chewing on the pen in her mouth. Obviously not looking where she was going she ran into what felt like a brick wall. With a gasp her list was sent flying as she staggered back, teetering dangerously close to falling she flailed her arms wildly, hoping to regain her balance.

Suddenly a hand darted out and caught her wrist and instantly steadied her; her heart beating rapidly Miranda looked up to see who she had run into and instantly some color drained from her face. She had been desperately trying to avoid him all week; she didn't want to yell at him or to be yelled at back. Kenpachi gazed at her with his good eye, her tiny wrist clasped in his hand. He could easily snap it if he wanted to, not that she'd let him do it without a fight. Without a word he let her go and stepped past her, she stood rooted in her spot with shock. She quickly spun about but he was gone before she could utter so much as a "Thank you."

Another week passed and soon they stopped trying to steer clear of each other, they usually kept their mouth shut around each other though, in case they set the other off. The men in the squad had to admit it was a bit entertaining to see the two clearly trying to get along. Whenever Miranda walked into the Mess Hall, whatever the Captain was talking about was immediately stopped until she left. They seemed to keep tabs on the other out of their peripheral vision until finally, near the end of May, they started to relax.

They noticed the change when the Captain had sat down for breakfast; a normal enough day to begin with. He was sitting with Yachiru in his lap, Yumachika on one side, and Ikkaku on the other. They were talking about different battle techniques when she slipped in through the kitchen door. She held Yachiru's regular pitcher of orange juice in her hands. When she limped up to the table, but the three continued talking as she took Yachiru's cup and filled it. It was then he looked at her and he noticed that she was favoring her left hip more than usual. He glanced up at her face and he could see the small glimmer of pain shoot across it. In that moment she met his gaze and the look in her eyes told him she knew he had noticed. There were no words as Miranda turned and limped back into the kitchen. There was dead silence within the entire Mess Hall. The two had just made full eye contact about something Kenpachi considered a weakness, and it hadn't sprouted an argument as it usually would have. A few soldiers had to hang onto the tables to keep from keeling over in surprise.

* * *

The next night, Saturday being a day off for Miranda, was a quiet one. She noticed it and was a bit taken back, at this time in the evening there was usually a chorus of drunken men singing off in the distant. Horribly and way off key normally, but tonight was silent. Mandy took in the fresh air and gave a bit a small smile, she was outside of her room when she decided to stop and sit down. She might as well enjoy it now.

Carefully she lowered herself on the step leading out into the decaying and slightly depressing garden. If she ever got the time she might make it look better, but for right now she was content to look up at the clear night sky and gaze at the stars. An hour passed as she started to identify familiar constellations in the sky, so engrossed was she that she failed to notice a large shadowy figure appear behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Miranda screeched and jumped up, she executed a roundhouse kick at whoever startled her but as she went to make contact a pair of hands caught her foot and stopped her momentum. Kenpachi had her ankle in his hands as he looked her with an amused expression,

"Jumpy much?"

Miranda gave a sigh of relief and yanked her foot back, "Next time you want to talk," she scolded, "make sure I know you're there!" With a huff she turned and sat herself back down on the garden step.

"Still didn't answer my question." Came his voice from behind her, Mandy turned her head to him and scowled,

"I'm sitting, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"Don't start with me Onna."

A nerve went off in Mandy's head, "Well I'm not the one who asked the stupid question. And it's _Miranda_." She growled, she turned her attention back to the garden, intent on ignoring Kenpachi. She swore she heard him chuckle,

"Why?"

She dropped her head in defeat, "Because it's quiet." She muttered as she looked back up. There was no answer right away, for a second Miranda allowed herself to think he had gotten bored and walked away, but she was disappointed when she turned to look. He was leaning against the wall contemplating her.

"You're right;" he admitted finally, "Some of the men must be off in town tonight."

"Doing what?"

"Drinking probably."

Miranda gave a scoff, "You know you're going to get a shit ton of complaints tomorrow."

"Yeah, so?"

"I'm just saying," she rested her head on her hand as she studied a large dying tree in the middle of the garden, "if you tightened their leash a bit, you wouldn't have so much paperwork to do."

It was silent for a moment, "why do you care?"

"Because I had to do it, and it wasn't fun and there was a whole lot more you could do than sit around reading complaints about men who are supposed to honor the squad."

"And what do you suggest I do?" There was a challenging bite to his tone, she twisted about to look him dead in the eye,

"Stop them from drinking after a certain time; you have enough power over them to do it." She returned her attention back to the dead tree, "You should do something about that." She stated after some time,

"Why?" Kenpachi replied, his tone almost asked her if she was an idiot. She shook her head,

"Well it's dead, for one. And see the way it's leaning, if that gets knocked over in a storm it's going to land right on top of your room."

"It's been through its share of bad weather, I doubt it's going down any time soon."

Miranda gave half chuckle, she struggled to stand up. She was done; her evening had officially been ruined. With a sigh she turned to go into her bedroom, "Just don't say I didn't warn you." She pointed out before she closed the door.

* * *

Weeks passed slowly until it was the middle of the mild June months. It was a typical Thursday evening, save for the smell of rain hanging in the air. The metallic scent was extremely potent this night, which usually meant a storm was on its way. Miranda finished up the rest of the dishes quickly and did a swift wash-down of the counters before she killed the lights and stepped out into the open halls of the compound. She had to admit with the smell of rain in the air, it made things a bit too quiet. The men could taste it as well and were looking at the sky worriedly.

"Feels like it's gonna be a bad one." Muttered a blonde haired man as he scurried along with his friend towards their rooms. Mandy hurried back to her bedroom in hopes of curling up in her bed early and sleeping through the storm. She was about to slide back the door when she heard a familiar voice to her left,

"Jingles," the black haired woman looked up and noticed Yachiru and Kenpachi down the hall. The captain looked like he was about to put his daughter to bed early tonight as well before the little girl had spotted her second favorite person. She hopped off Kenpachi's shoulder and ran up to the cook and hugged her knees, "I'm going to bed now," she said happily, "I wanted to say good night."

Miranda bent down and kissed the child on the forehead, "Then goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite."

The pink haired girl giggled and squeezed Mandy's neck and ran back to Kenpachi. She scampered up onto his shoulder and he turned to walk away down the hall. The black haired woman sighed and retreated into her bedroom. After a relaxing shower she wrapped her hair up in a towel and settled in her bed to read a book. Slowly she heard the rain begin, it was nice at first but it progressively got heavier and heavier until it was pounding on the roof. Miranda thought it'd be a good time to go to bed so she unwrapped her hair and ran a brush through it. The lights were soon turned off and she struggled to get comfy underneath her covers. She managed to lie on her left side and slowly she closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the wind and rain.

It wasn't the thunder or lightening, or the howling wind that woke Miranda up. She was in a deep sleep when lightening flashed across the sky and struck the dead tree outside in the garden. There was a loud crack that caused Mandy to jump out of her skin as a resounding crash followed shortly after. In a flash the woman was up and out of her bed rushing to the door to see what had happened. As soon as she slid her door back she was buffeted by wind and rain, she threw an arm across her face as she stepped out.

True to her word, lightening had struck the tree and toppled it; landing straight onto Kenpachi's room. Men had run out of their rooms and were desperately trying to move the large tree in order to see if their Captain was alright. Miranda realized there was no need; he was already crawling out of the mess of tree limbs cursing so loudly she could hear him above the storm.

He wore only a pair of Hakama, leaving his washboard abs out for everyone to see. Despite the fact that tree had just landed on him while he was sleeping, Mandy had to admit he looked good. She watched as he assessed the damage, still cursing (inventively she might add).

"Jingles, what happened?" came a voice from beside her. Mandy gasped as she turned, Yachiru stood at her legs, thoroughly soaked to the bone. She shivered in the wind in the rain as the older woman grasped her hand and lead her into Mandy's room. She failed to notice Kenpachi's eyes boring into her back as she slid the door shut.

"Yachiru, you shouldn't be up." She scolded lightly as she scurried around trying to find a towel so she could dry off the little girl. "Here," she threw a white fluffy towel over head and began to rub her down, "you must be so cold."

"N-not r-really." Came Yachiru's chattering voice, Miranda smirked as she took the towel off. She went to her dresser and pulled out a large fleece blanket and proceeded to wrap the girl up into it. It took a moment for her to be able to pick up Yachiru but she managed to get her over onto her bed and settle her down. She sat back and admired her work but was startled as her door slid open again. She looked back to see Kenpachi duck into her room,

"Where is she?" he asked, he was now wearing his Haori, Miranda pointed to her bed and glanced over. She was surprised to see Yachiru fast asleep on her pillow, "Great…" came a low mutter. She gave a sigh and shook her head, she turned back to the Captain and noticed that he was still soaking wet. His long hair, which was usually slicked back, was now hanging over his shoulders heavy with rain. Miranda disappeared into her bathroom and returned with a towel, she didn't look at him as he took it.

As he towel dried himself Mandy went off to find another blanket and pillow, Kenpachi was tossing the towel aside when she returned. She threw the pillow to the floor and was about to get down when she heard him scoff,

"What the hell are you doing?"

Miranda gave an irritated growl, more of his stupid questions, "Sleeping on the floor."

Again she was about to get down when Kenpachi's hand scooped up the pillow and his other grabbed her, he dragged her over to her bed, "go to sleep." She stood there shocked until she finally managed to crawl into bed with Yachiru. She pulled the child into her chest as she watched Kenpachi settle in the corner near her door. He sat cross legged with a bottle of sake in his hands, as her eyes closed slowly she could have sworn he was watching her. No, watching the both of them.

_A/N: Took me a little longer to make than I thought, but I think the chapter is good. I don't think I'm moving too fast with all the changes, if I am let me know and I can always slow it down. I have finally decided on theme songs for the characters, at least for Mandy and Kenpachi._

_Miranda's theme song is "Stains." By Janus. Give it a listen to and tell me what you think please._

_Kenpachi's theme is "The Crazy Ones." By Stellar revival, give that one a good listen and give me some feedback on that as well. If you have any ideas about themes for the others let me know, just try to keep it within the rock, metal, and heavy metal genre._

_2thestarsandabove_


	14. Small Talk

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 14  
Small Talk

A loud voice was what woke Miranda up first, then the feeling of someone clinging to her small frame. Squinting she opened her eyes and looked down to see Yachiru burying her face deeper into Mandy's boobs. The older woman laughed a bit and began the long process of detaching herself from the child's death grip. As she swung herself up she stretched her arms up and felt her back pop in several places and Mandy couldn't resist a sigh as she felt instantly better. A quick glance at her clock told her she had over slept by an hour so she hurried around her room putting her hair up and getting dressed.

She was slipping on her last hair charm as she came out of the bathroom, Yachiru was sprawled over her bed and Miranda didn't have the heart to wake her up. The woman made sure she was tucked in tight and she kissed her on the forehead and slipped out of the door. As soon as she stepped out she was nearly run over by a well-built man, who was carrying a large branch on his shoulder,

"Sorry Mandy." He apologized swiftly before he disappeared around the corner. The garden was a bit on the busy side as some guys shouted back and forth to each other. From what she could see they were trying to move the large tree that had fallen on Kenpachi's room the night before. The Captain himself was moving the largest limbs aside, with his shirt off no less, trying to get to the trunk of the tree. Miranda watched for a bit until eventually Kenpachi managed to get a good grip around the large base of the dead plant. She watched, slightly in awe, as the Captain's muscles rippled as he lifted the tree on one side. As he managed to shoulder it, she realized he meant to throw it over the other side of his damaged room. Miranda knew there was an empty courtyard there, but she didn't know if he could do it by himself.

All of the Squad stood back as Kenpachi stooped over, and with a lot of momentum, and tossed the tree over the wall as if he was tossing a person. It landed with a loud thud into the empty courtyard, Kenpachi was obviously satisfied as he stretched out his arms, he glanced behind him for a moment and he spotted her. None of the men around them noticed as he gave her a cocky smirk, he knew she couldn't help staring at him. She scoffed and rolled her eyes as she walked away with a goofy grin on her face.

The rest of the day was uneventful for her, she hardly saw anyone because they were all working on their Captain's room. When they all came in for lunch she made their lunch she made sure she had something filling and all the sake cups were full. She spent some talking with Ikkaku, as he was good with tools he guessed with some help he might be able to patch up the damage within two weeks. Afterwards they all filed out to get some more work done as Yachiru came bouncing in. She looked extremely refreshed as she gave Mandy a hug and followed her into the kitchen.

As evening fell, the compound turned silent again, a peaceful evening as everyone went to bed with full stomachs. It was the kind of night that made Miranda want to sit out on the garden steps again, this time with a cup of hot green tea. As she settled on the steps with the warm cup in her hands she took in the beautiful after rain smell. Without the tree in the yard it looked slightly less depressing and most of the plants on the ground would get more sunlight and grow. She blew on the top of her cup and took a sip, savoring the taste. The night was clear so the stars were out again as she looked up, but unlike last time she heard the light footsteps coming down the hall,

"Back again?" came Kenpachi's voice, Miranda shook her head as she smiled,

"Yes." She replied simply as she took another sip of her tea. She wasn't going to let him ruin this evening, not this time.

* * *

Kenpachi was irked to say the least, the storm last night had been a bad one. He was just falling asleep when he heard the crack and the dangerous sound of swaying wood. Every nerve in his body told him to move and fast. He rolled out of bed and jumped across the floor as the tree came crashing into his room. Destroying the roof and walls, and completely soaking everything he owned. With a growl he pushed past dead limbs to get out into the open to try and assess the damage, cursing all the while. The wind and rain didn't make things any easier as he tried to see what had been taken down, one thing was for sure. He was going to need a new room. He growled as he turned around to tell everyone to leave it until morning, it was then he spotted a soaked Yachiru standing with the woman.

She must have just noticed she was there because the older woman jumped and nearly had a heart attack at the state his kid was in. She ushered into her own room and slid the door shut. A few minutes later, after finding his Haori and a full jug of sake, he entered Miranda's room ( because she'd bitch at him if he didn't use her name) to find her tucking Yachiru into her bed. She heard him come in and turned to see, she took one good look at him and disappeared to find a towel. He took it without a word and tried his best to dry himself off while she moved about her room. He tossed it aside as she got a pillow and threw it on the floor. His eyes flickered to her and before he could stop the words they came stumbling out of his mouth.

She looked at him like he was stupid and with an irritated sigh he grabbed the pillow off the floor and her arm and nearly tossed her over onto the other side of Yachiru. She stood for a moment, dumbfounded but she didn't argue with him as she cuddled under the covers next to his kid. He watched from the corner as she pulled the child into her chest and covered her protectively from the rest of the world. Eventually she was fast asleep as he sat there drinking his sake, trying to forget the night and trying not to think about the morning, he nodded off sometime after three but eventually woke up as the sun started shining through Miranda's window.

With a groan he stood up and felt several of his bones pop, he tried not to thin about how sore he was as he walked outside and saw the real extent of the damage caused the night before. The entire wall the tree had fallen on had utterly destroyed everything in it's path. He didn't even want to think about water the water had done to his belongings. With a growl he went around to several rooms, kicked doors down, and got asses into gear. A half an hour later the courtyard was full of men clearing debris so their Captain could get to the downed tree.

The captain himself was pulling aside large branches; he had long ago shed his Captains coat as the sun rose in the sky beating down on all of them. From somewhere behind a loud voice came, "Captain, the courtyard on the other side is clear." Kenpachi ignored him as he managed to get to the trunk of the dead plant. Easily he shouldered the weight as he used all of his strength to send it sailing over the wall. He heard it land and with satisfaction he swung his arms out to stretch them. for some odd reason he looked behind him and there she was standing; he could see the surprise in her face as she had watched him toss the tree over. She looked at him and he couldn't stop the cocky grin from spreading across his face. She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him as she turned towards the kitchen, he watched her disappear.

The rest of the day went pretty uneventfully, Ikkaku gave himself about to weeks to repair all the damage done, which was better than what Kenpachi originally estimated. As the day went by he figured he might as well get a head start on his paperwork; time flew by because around noon he was attacked by a rejuvenated Yachiru who hugged him and went off to find her friends. Around three he stopped his work to eat a late lunch and spar, he would've taken a nap but due to his lack of bed he put it off. Dinner was good, as usual, and as everyone cleaned up and stacked their plates they all wandered off to do he knew what. He remembered his announcement from two weeks ago forbidding all use of alcohol after nine in town, they wanted to drink they could get buzzed at home. He had a more than few objections to that new rule but they wouldn't push him, they knew if they broke it they'd pay with their lives.

It was a little late when he started off towards Yachiru's room, he figured he'd crash on her floor for a while and he knew she'd be ecstatic with him there. As he was walking he spotted Miranda sitting on the garden step with a hot cup of tea in her hands. He gave a smirk,

"Back again?"

She gave a small chuckle as she shook her head, "Yes." was her simple reply. Not to be pushed off he walked over to her and thumped down beside her. It was obvious he took her by surprise by the look on her face but she was quick to hide it.

"I still don't see why you like this." he muttered as he rubbed the back of his head; she gave another shake of her head as if she was talking to an idiot.

"I told you before, it's quiet. It's a nice change of pace."

Kenpachi gave a grunt as he looked up, the sky was clear and the air, he noticed, smelled very sweet. He supposed a night like this had its advantages, the quiet was relaxing, he felt like he had no worries and he supposed it gave him time to think. He could see why she liked it now, after all the hustle and bustle of her day she could take the time to just unwind.

"You know," she said as she took another sip of her tea, " I hate to tell you I told you so, but I told you so." she indicated towards the spot where the dead tree had been. Kenpachi wanted to feel irritated, and he did a little but he had to laugh at her ironic sarcasm,

"I knew you'd say something." he replied as he leaned back onto his hands, and she was right. He should've figured out by now that she was 90 percent of the time so he couldn't really say anything as she snickered at him,

"If you knew then you should have listened to me." she stated and he gave her a scowl in return, she threw her head back and let her laughter fill the quiet night. As she giggled Kenpachi started to wonder when he stopped hating the mere sight of this woman. The first time he couldn't stand her, especially when he thought she was going to take Yachiru away from him. When she threatened to run away from home, that was kind of the last straw for him. And then Miranda stepped in and stopped, scolded her for her rash action and all but force his adoptive daughter to apologize to him. It was in that moment he saw how much easier it would be for him if he just let Yachiru have her way, as usual.

Still didn't mean he had to like her, he didn't know why he started fights with her. His male pride, his somewhat bruised ego? It was just more excuses to tease and taunt her, he could always see the way she tried to keep her temper in check, and he knew she had one. There were times she snapped like almost a month and a half ago, at those time she wasn't afraid to get into his face and start yelling at him. Eventually he tried to find all the ways he could piss her off, she was unlike anything he had ever seen, a true blue eyed spitfire. It was like an extremely bad habit, until it ended badly.

But now what? He was doing his damnedest to behave himself, he figured since they had been both in their places he could at least try to be nice to her. But she was so strange in so many ways. He never understood why she did the things she did, he wasn't even going to try at this point. Like the tattoo he knew that was on her left shoulder, why was she hiding it? And the accident that caused her to limp, why was she so ashamed of that? She did all she could to try and avoid talk about her and her past, what was she hiding that was so bad?

* * *

The silence between him and Miranda stretched almost comfortably until she heard him give an irritated sigh,

"Seriously, why do you find this interesting? I get the whole it's quiet thing, but read a book or something."

"It gives me time to think, I suppose." she said as she sipped her tea, he snorted at her and she cast him a short glare, "And yes, I can think. Keep you snarky comment to yourself." she scolded. He did nothing but grin at her as she rolled her eyes and looked up at the night sky again, "Besides I usually read a book on my days off, gives me something to look forward to."

"Whatever, I guess. I'd do something a little more productive."

"Everyone is different," said Miranda wisely, "I don't think drinking Sake until I'm falling down drunk is necessarily productive." her dry response was met with a chuckle,

"Says you."

"Hows that going by the way, banning your men from drinking in town after nine?" she looked at him curiously and he shrugged his shoulders,

"Okay I guess, they're not stupid enough to let me catch them doing so, so I really don't have to worry."

"Well if you trust them, that's good enough for me."

Again there was silence but it was cut short when Miranda stood up and stretched,

"Well it was nice chatting with you but I, unlike you, have some actual work to do tomorrow." she said as she stepped up to go into her room, an indignant voice came from behind,

"Hey I do work too." he said as he scrambled up as well,

"Well then you'll have to tell me all about it tomorrow night." she said airily as she went to slide her door shut, she looked back at him and grinned as he saw the amused look on his face,

"Bet on it." was his reply.

_A/N: I hate being sick, plain and simple. I thought it was a headcold at first and then my body was like f*ck you star you're going to be death warmed over sick. I'm feeling a lot better today so I was able to finish up the chapter._

_I'm starting to like where this is going, though I only have about anther year in bleach time to wrap this up before the time skip resumes and Ichigo gets back his powers. This is but a first step in the direction I want to go and I hope I'm able to write out how I wish this could end. And for the very few who were concerned (since it's labeled Hurt/Comfort) No, I have absolutely no plans to kill off the main character (Though I think it's entirely more realistic). So rest easy, the hurt and comfort comes from Miranda not Kenpachi, so if you wanted to the truth it's a romance and adventure story but I prefer to go with themes here. So no this isn't going to be like "When Faith Met Science." Though I think I'm entirely more better at writing tragedies._

_So let me know what you think, what did you like what didn't you lie? Flame away if need be and stay tuned!_

_2thestarsandabove_


	15. The Day off and other Pains

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 15  
The day off and other Pains

Miranda was surprised when he came back the next night, and the night after that, and the night after that. All throughout the month he would join her on the garden steps and they would just talk. Meaningless activities of their day, or genuinely deep conversations, or as deep as Kenpachi could think. Which was a lot more then she expected. As the cool warm mild nights flew by July turned to August, then to September. Before everyone knew it the nights had grown colder and colder until the middle of October had settled in. It was a mild breezy Saturday when Miranda woke up and got ready for her day. She ate breakfast in relative peace as she talked with Ikkaku and Yumachika, in her lap was Yachiru and right beside them was Kenpachi.

Afterwards they all parted to do their work, Ikkaku was off to train newer recruits while Yumachika went off to primp himself. Yachiru was playing while Kenpachi went off to do his paperwork. His room was newly refurbished now, much larger able to fit a new king sized bed that could fit two of him on it. His bathroom was also refitted to fit the new room with a complete in the floor tub and large Shower. When Miranda heard Ikkaku describe it she immediately felt envious of the Captain, who had given her a wide "Be Jealous." grin.

As for Miranda and Kenpachi themselves, she never knew she could actually get along with the barbarian of a man. He had his faults but, as she thought about it later, who didn't? They hardly ever argued and the only time they did was when he actually went out of his way to irk her. Other than that they pretty much left each other alone.

Miranda herself was standing in the middle of her room wonder what she was going to do for the day. She didn't want to read a book, and she had nothing else better to do so she decided to walk around town. She located her stash of money which had taken weeks to save up for a day like today and slipped out the door. She passed doors and hallways without meeting anyone but as she reached the compound doors she heard a loud squeal and Miranda quickly sidestepped Yachiru, who barreled past her. The kid skidded to a halt and ran back up to Miranda with a big grin on her face.

"Jingles," she said in a bright tone, Mandy just smirked at her, "are you going into town? Can I come with you, I'll be real good I promise!"

Of course Mandy couldn't say no to her and they ended up in the market street holding hands. It was slightly busy, everyday buyers getting what they needed, rich Shinigami from the main families spending their money, others were just hanging out. A rich smell permeated the air, spices mixed with a sweet scent made an already Miranda seem hungry. They spent hours window shopping until noon settled around, both Yachiru and Mandy had a bag in their hands as they sat down at a small dumpling shop. As the little girl stuffed the older woman full of her favorite sweets the afternoon passed by slowly.

It was winding down to around five O'clock when Miranda and Yachiru were walking hand in hand back down the Main street. They were passing a small jewelry store when Mandy happened to glance at the window, she stopped suddenly and gasped. She instantly let go of Yachiru to gaze at a small piece laying on a padded pillow. The light reflected off of the diamond cut charm beautifully as Miranda continued to stare longingly, it was a fine hair charm designed to fit perfectly in the hair.

"Oh," sighed Mandy as Yachiru stood beside her to admire the jewelry's exquisite design. She looked up at Miranda,

"Why don't you buy it." The older woman chuckled sadly as she shook her head,

"It's worth more than I make in a year Yachiru, I'd never be able to afford it." She gave it one last look before she gave a sad huff and smiled at the little girl. "Come, let's go home."

As they headed home Miranda couldn't get the diamond hair charm out her mind; she wanted it, and badly. But she wasn't a greedy person, she could live without it, but for once in her life she supposed she could wish for something nice.

"You know, you must be excited." Miranda thought out loud, Yachiru gave her a funny look as they rounded a corner and the Eleventh Squad Compound came into view,

"Why?"

"Well It's October, do you know what's in two months?"

"December?"

Miranda giggled, "What else silly?" She looked down and with a bit of shock noticed Yachiru's thoroughly confused face. Mandy furrowed her brow, "You know?" she prompted, but still the girl shook her head, "Christmas! Don't you celebrate Christmas?"

"What's Christmas?"

Miranda almost had a heart attack on the spot but she managed to get a grip on herself as she asked, "Okay maybe you celebrate Hanukkah?" Yachiru shook her head, "Kwanzaa?" Yachiru just gave her a funny look as Miranda stopped walking and nearly dropped her jaw.

"What's Christmas?"

Mandy swallowed as she fought to regain her composure, "Well it's a special day in the month of December where people exchange gifts with one another, some also say it was the day of the Birth of Jesus Christ, but that's an entirely different topic all together."

"Gifts? You mean like presents?" Miranda nodded a little,

"That's the idea. If you've been good you get presents on Christmas day for being well behaved throughout the year. If you don't you get coal or nothing at all."

"Really?!" squealed a happy Yachiru at the thought of getting presents for one day a year, "Can we celebrate it this year, please, please, please, please?!" begged the little girl. Miranda wanted to laugh,

"Let me talk to Kenpachi, he's the Captain and it's up to him." she gave the child a stern look, "and don't bully him into it, you leave it to me young lady." The pink eyed girl gave her a sheepish grin and nodded. For the rest of the day she kept a sharp on Miranda and she always seemed to hold her breath whenever she talked to Kenpachi. Miranda knew Yachiru was waiting desperately for an answer but the girl would have to wait a little longer.

That night Miranda was waiting for Kenpachi on the garden steps as usual, the night was cold as she shivered a bit. Her breath was misting as she rubbed her arms looking up at the crisp night sky. Suddenly something landed on her shoulders, she looked at the large white Haori hanging on her shoulders and she opened her mouth to argue with Kenpachi who sat down beside her.

"I'm warm anyway," he replied before she could complain and he waved her off, she failed to notice the fact that he wasn't really looking at her. With a small smile she wrapped it around her and nudged him in the arm,

"So I found out today that you don't celebrate Christmas, what's up with that?"

The Captain rubbed the back of his head, "Never crossed my mind to."

"Even with Yachiru?"

"Yeah, it's just never really seemed important."

"I can understand that, I just assumed since she's still a little girl you'd celebrate it with her."

Kenpachi looked at her for a moment, "Do you want to?"

Miranda shrugged, "It's not really me who wants to, I promised Yachiru I'd talk to you and see if you'd say yes."

It was silent as the larger man contemplated it, "I really don't see the harm in it," he said slowly as he leaned back on his hands and tilted his head back. He closed his eyes as he continued, "if Yachiru really wants to do this whole Christmas thing, then I don't see why not."

"Really?!" came a shrill cry, a pink blur hopped out behind a wall and tackled Kenpachi to the ground, "Thank you Ken-Chan!"

"Yeah, yeah." he muttered as an indignant Miranda huffed,

"Little girl why aren't you in bed?"

"Well," Yachiru gave the older woman one her sheepish big eyed looks as she gave a small seemingly perfect smile, "I was so excited and nervous and I really wanted to see if Ken-Chan would say yes."

"Well now you have your answer, now it's time for you to go off to bed. Little girls like you need their sleep and if you don't you'll get nothing on Christmas." Warned Miranda severely. The innocent look was gone from Yachiru's face as it was replaced with a serious, she nodded vigorously, hugged Kenpachi and Miranda , and headed off towards her room with a slight skip in her step. Miranda laughed she she disappeared around a corner,

"Well she has something to look forward to." she said happily and the Captain grunted in reply, "Don't worry, I 'll take care of everything," assured the cook, already plans were formulating in her mind about the large dinner and the gifts she would give the child. She could almost see the joyful look upon her face as she opened all of her presents that morning.

Suddenly Miranda yawned, she covered her mouth as she slipped off the Haori and handed it back to it's owner, "I'm going to head off to bed," she said as she struggled to get up. Kenpachi scrambled to stand but she was already on her feet by the time he got up. She gave him a small smile and disappeared into her room as the Captain went to his and did the same.

* * *

The next morning was bright and crisp as Kenpachi threw on his Captain's coat and left his room. He had slept well the night before and was ready to face another day. He was about to go to the Dining Hall when he heard a cry,

"Help!"

He stopped and looked towards Miranda's room where the voice had come from, he briefly wondered if she was alright. He slid her door open and spotted Miranda on her bed, sprawled in an awkward position. She was breathing heavily as she tried to switch the way she was laying, her face was pulled into a painful grimace as she gasped out loud. She looked up at the sound of her door opening and he swore she would have cried at the sight of him,

"Please help me." she pleaded weakly and Kenpachi was almost at a loss of what to do. He didn't understand what was wrong with her but she motioned him over to her, "I slept wrong last night, I need you to move me." she explained softly, she pointed to her hip, "Move it forward and pull me back so I'm laying fully on my left side."

He could see where she was hurting, she must had lain on her bad hip and her entire leg had gone stiff making it hard to move. He gently grabbed her but stopped when she gasped, she laughed at him,

"It's ok, this is gonna hurt either way you do it," she seemed to ready herself and she nodded at him. Carefully he moved her as she grunted in pain, finally she breathed sigh of relief as she lay on her good side. She threw an arm over towards where her dresser was, "Can you hand me my pain medicine, please?"

Five minutes later she was dazing on her bed, muttering her thanks to him as he looked back at her. Her pain meds seemed to have kicked in as her eyes glazed over, she was breathing much easier now and still slightly worried he left her alone in her room. As Kenpachi went on with his day the scene where she lay helpless on her bed replayed over and over in his mind. For the first time she needed aid, he had never seen her look so weak and vulnerable it was actually disturbing. She was usually so strong and his reaction, his feeling of loss and confusion, was equally puzzling.

As evening fell everyone was wondering where their favorite cook was, their Captain explained what had happened (leaving out a few obvious details) and they immediately understood. Yachiru wanted to go give her a kiss goodnight as Kenpachi walked her off to bed but he forbade it, he didn't want anyone bothering her. He was walking to bed when he decided to check on her though, easily and silently he slid her door back and peeked in. She was passed out on the bed, breathing evenly, a look of peace on her face. He knew she'd feel much better in the morning and he couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped his mouth. But for the rest of the night, he wouldn't be able to get rid of the feeling of helplessness he had when he saw her sprawled on her bed.

_A/N: A little short and a bit rushed at the end, more of a half continuation of the story slash filler. Meh. I wanted to introduce him to a new side of Miranda, he never really had to deal with her Injury like that even though she's pretty much a pro at this. The sight of her being helpless would be a very disturbing thought to him because he's only seen what Miranda wants to show. This new side shows him how vulnerable and fragile she really is, despite what she puts out on the outside. It's gives him a more real perspective of her._

_As for the whole Christmas thing, I hope I really don't offend anyone. Being politically correct is such a pain in the ass it's not even funny, but I had the whole Christmas thing in my head for a while now. The only thing I have to do is come up with presents for everyone. Toys of course for Yachiru, but would someone like Kenpachi get? And would he give Miranda a gift? That my peeps is the question!_

_So stay tuned and tell me what you liked and what you didn't like._

_2thestarsandabove_


	16. The Accident

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 16  
The accident

When the announcement came out that the entire Eleventh Squad was celebrating Christmas, many wondered if their Captain had been replaced by someone else. This was entirely out of character for him and even a few cast knowing glances at Miranda and Yachiru. The cook had changed so much since she had gotten here, some were still deciding if it was a good or bad change, others were just going with the flow. They were still Soldiers, when it counted their strength was still needed. They just had a Squad Mom who came and straightened their asses out.

As for Christmas, they weren't the only Squad to celebrate it this year, Fourth and Fifth usually participated in the festivities while a few lone stragglers hung out with friends on evening of the twenty fourth. This was just the first year since Kenpachi took over that Squad Eleven would be joining in. Miranda spent weeks planning out dinner and gifts she would be putting under the tree. She had already secretly bought Yachiru many toys she had wanted the day she went shopping with her and even a few extras. The older woman smiled, the bright pink bubble was being especially well behaved, she was even being nice to Ikkaku and Miranda knew the two usually had it out for each other.

As October turned into November it began to snow ever so slightly with each passing day, light flakes dusted the ground soon covering the landscape in white. The snow seemed to muffle all of the noise in the world, the quiet spread across the sky leaving behind a peaceful and lazy vibrancy. While it was cold outside, inside the compounds it was a cozy and happy warm. There were many days where everyone spent their time in the Mess Hall taking in the scent of spiced apples and pumpkin pie. They were slowly replacing their sake with hot cider and hot chocolate and there was always a chorus of laughter to be heard.

It was the first week of December when the Seireitei finally got a good fall of snow, Yachiru had woken up the next morning and had gone head first into the soft white fluff. She had managed to drag Ikkaku, Yumachika, and Kenpachi into a snowball fight and even Miranda had joined in for a while. Afterwards they had settled into the kitchen to drink hot tea while Mandy made Caramel Taffy Apples. Yachiru was sitting on the island counter with Kenpachi leaning next to her trying to clean off the white maple syrup she had gotten on herself. Ikkaku and Yumachika were off to the side trying to hide their snorts of laughter as the little girl struggled against the larger man.

When her sweets were done she passed them around to everyone, even Kenpachi couldn't help enjoying it. She blushed a little as he took the Taffy Apple away from her. She didn't want to admit something had changed between them, at least for her. After he had helped that one morning when she had slept wrong on her side, she couldn't help thinking about how nice his hands had felt on her hips, even if she had been in extreme pain. She always found herself turning red whenever she thought about it, he was her Captain and there was no way he'd ever find an interest in her. Who would, she could never contribute anything physical in a relationship because of her injury, so why bother? He probably only liked her as a friend, and to her that was a depressing thought.

She liked the nights where they would sit out in the garden and talk, even if it was just useless banter. She actually enjoyed spending her time with him and there was even a few times he made her laugh. Like a night like this, the evening was cold and she was wrapped up in his warm Haori as he talked about some long ago battle. She looked at his face and saw the excitement and remembrance etched into his sharp features as he used his hands to imitate every swing of his sword. She leaned back on her hands to listen just as he did the same. Their fingers touched and time seemed to stand still between them, her eyes flickered to his and he was giving her a hard and calculating stare. His gold green eyes bore into her blue ones, seemingly searching into her soul. She was thankful it was dark or he'd see how red she was. Warm in the face she pulled her hand away and smiled apologetically at him.

It was turning towards ten when she decided it was time for bed. She took of his warm Captains coat and handed it back to him, again their fingers brushed against each other and a pleasant chill ran up Miranda's spine. She couldn't bear to look at him as she went to get up, this time he beat her to a standing position and as if nothing happened he held his hand out to her. Mandy hesitated a bit but she gently took it, easily he helped her to her feet and all but escorted her to her room. She was about to slide her door back when she heard him say,

"Good night Miranda." She stopped and looked back at him. He was so close to her she could almost feel the heat of his body come off of him in waves. His towering height above didn't seem intimidating as he gazed at her with his deep eyes, she swallowed and gave a soft gentle smile,

"Good night Captain." She whispered as she limped into her room and closed the door. She leaned against a wall and put a hand to her heart, it was beating rapidly underneath her fingers and she listened to him hover outside her door then slowly walk away. Miranda had to hold in a pitiful laugh, she was doing the most pathetic and predictable thing in the world. She was falling in love her Captain.

* * *

Kenpachi couldn't understand what he was feeling, every time he looked at her he had a good feeling in his chest. Something had changed within him, when had he started to see her as something more? When had he liked the way she looked everyday, when had he started to notice her hair fell nicely over her shoulders when she threw it up sloppily? Her charms that hung everywhere and made noise when she walked, when had they become one of the greatest parts about her?

When had their talks become the highlight of his day; he loved to be around her and enjoyed the company she brought with her. She gave him answers, she didn't suck up to him, she wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. But she was breakable, vulnerable, fragile; she could be easily gone from his life in a moment. He didn't know what he would do if that ever happened, if she ever died. Yachiru would be heartbroken, but Kenpachi would lose a friend who seemed to understand him better than anyone else, even if she acted like she didn't.

Sitting with her at night, just talking, telling her stories about past fights. She just sat there and listened to him, looking at his face amused about what she saw there. She always listened to him, others always tuned him out but not her, she heard him. She leaned back to rest on her hands just as he did and he felt their fingers brush together. He looked at her and she met his eyes. Her ocean blue orbs glittering in the dark, she gave him a forced smile and took away her hand, much to his disappointment. As they continued their talk he couldn't stop thinking about how he wanted to reach out and hold her hand, his face started to feel warm about the thought. Eventually she handed back his Haori and went to get up, he was faster than her and he had to hide a triumphant smile as he held out a hand to help her up. She looked at nervously but eventually she took it, he closed his fingers around hers and he felt how small her hand was compared to his.

He hovered behind her as she was about to walk into her room, before he could stop himself he blurted out a soft, "Good night Miranda." She stopped, this was the first time he had ever said her name, she looked back up at him and smiled again. He felt warm inside at the sight of it, he liked the way she smiled at him,

"Good night Captain." was her reply and she disappeared behind her door. He hesitated outside her door for a moment, Haori in his hand. He wanted to go after her, he wanted to understand why she was making him feel this way. Did she feel it too, would she ever consider being with someone like him? He shook his head and walked away, he was lucky she even considered him a friend at best. Momentarily he looked back, but when they were alone together, there was always something. A spark between them he didn't really want to lose.

* * *

The next morning Miranda was working the kitchen making lunch for the day, she was setting out the last plate in the Mess Hall and for a moment she took the time to admire her work. The room was bright and warm, above the door was a wreath and in the corner, lights twinkling on the boughs, was a giant evergreen tree. She remembered when Kenpachi had come tromping in with it in tow behind him, Yachiru was on his shoulder with a wide smile on her face. They had found the perfect Christmas tree she said and they started decorating right the time they were done Miranda, Yachiru, and Kenpachi were laughing covered in tinsel, Mandy's sides hurt and she had tears streaming down her face as they all stepped back to admire their work. The only thing that they were missing was the star on top, Miranda found a small box nearby and opened it up. Nestled in was the crystal ornament and she handed it to Yachiru who cradled it gently in her hands. Kenpachi lifted her up and she easily stuck it on top of the tree, he stepped back next to Miranda with Yachiru on his shoulders, and for a moment all felt right in the world.

As lunch came and went she had some time before supper to waste. She was about to open up a cook book when Yachiru burst in through the door with her Adoptive Father in tow. He looked a little flustered as she stopped before the older woman and put on cutest face she could,

"Jingles, can we go for a walk, all of us?" she pointed to the three of them and Miranda shot a glance at Kenpachi. He was rubbing his neck nervously and she could have sworn he was blushing or at least he was trying his damnedest to hide it. She was speechless for a moment before she could sputter an answer,

"I-I guess."

And that was how she found herself outside the Seireitei walls, limping side by side with Kenpachi as Yachiru ran ahead and giggled as she played in the snow. Miranda cast a quick glance at Kenpachi, who was looking anywhere where but at her. She frowned as she concentrated on the ground. She hated this awkward silence between them, this never used to be so hard.

"You're quiet." commented the Captain as he finally decided to pay attention to her, Mandy just shrugged. Just being near him sent chills down her spine, just the thought of him made her happy. But he'd never return the feelings she had for him, she was better off keeping them inside, to just let him be free. He wasn't the type to be tied down, not someone like him.

"I've been wondering," Miranda was startled out of her stupor and she looked up at him. They had come to a large clearing surrounded by trees, white covered everything like a beautiful blanket. Yachiru was playing in a large drift near the tree line, "Your tattoo, where did you get it?"

* * *

If he hadn't been watching for it, Kenpachi would have never seen the change in her face. In an instant her defenses went up, her posture changed so she was now almost leaning away from him. Her quiet energy was now getting cold as her eyes narrowed slightly. He wanted to know why it was such a sore subject with her, what had she done?

"It doesn't matter." she said curtly and Kenpachi frowned,

"Obviously it does if you're acting so rough about it." he shot back quietly, he went to look her in the eyes but she had them averted. Her face was pulled in tight, betraying no emotion about what she was feeling. He didn't like it, she knew him like an open book but trying to read her was trying trying to read it in another language. Eventually she shook her head as she turned away, before she could walk off he grabbed her arms and pulled her back. She landed right into him, her hands splayed out over his chest, he tried to ignore the pleasant shiver that ran through him,

"Miranda," her attention snapped back up to him, "Where did you get it?"

She gave a nervous sigh and tried to pull away, "You wouldn't understand." she whispered,

"Then make me understand," He said as he held on tighter. He didn't want to let her go, not now, not when it felt so right with her in his arms. She swallowed and shook her head again, "What are you hiding that is so bad, Miranda What could you have possibly done that was worse than what I did and can do?"

She stopped, she could see that he was right. She wasn't a killer, he knew that much. She had the skill but she would never have the disposition for it, she was far too nice.

"I-"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by a loud crack. Both their heads swiveled around and Kenpachi's heart stopped when he saw what was going on. He felt Miranda wrench away from him as a large tree was falling toward where Yachiru was playing. She was looking up at it in shock as it came tumbling toward her. The heavy snow must have caused it to break under pressure and now Yachiru was going to get hurt. He started running to try and save her, if he was fast enough he could push her out of the way.

Suddenly a black blur sped by him, he watched as Miranda skidded to a halt and with all her strength shoved Yachiru to the side. The little girl was sent flying and she landed head first into the snow as a resounding thud echoed throughout the clearing. A high pitched scream followed afterwards as Kenpachi ran up to the debris. Miranda was trapped under the large tree and she struggled in vain to try and get out,

"Hang on, Miranda." Said the Captain as lifted it up and pulled it to the side. The woman was gasping and holding onto her hip as she groaned, "Can you move?"

"No!" she was shivering badly, "I can't move my legs at all."

The Captain felt all the color leave his face as he bent down to pick her up. She clutched onto him as he felt Yachiru crawl up his back and look down at Miranda from her perch. As fast as he could, Kenpachi ran back tot he Seireitei. Why did this always happen to her, she had needlessly put herself in danger again. Just like the last time, didn't she get that she wasn't indestructible? When he burst through the doors of the Fourth Squad Hospital again he saw the Healers give him a pained look. They took her away again leaving him and Yachiru alone and very worried.

_A/N: Okay length wise, but I had to fit a lot into one chapter. Their feelings for each other has really changed, but I wonder if I'm moving a bit fast with it. Anywho, doesn't Miranda have a knack for getting herself hurt, but the next chapter is where Kenpachi learns about everything she's hiding, so this should be a good one. Not to mention a very life changing operation is coming her way._

_Stay tuned and Please, let me know what you think._

_2thestarsandabove_


	17. The Truth

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 17  
The Truth

**_Iris - The GooGoo Dolls_**

_And I don't want the world to see me  
Cause I don't think they'd understand  
__When everything's made to be broken  
__I just want you to know who I am_

_**Stains - Janus**_

_The Stains we hide  
Always rely on  
Believing the lie  
Carved out in your mind_

_The Stains we hide  
Bury us all alive inside  
'Till it wears you out  
We're covered up  
We're covered now  
In stains_

_**Let Me Be The One- Savage Garden**_

_Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone_

_**Just Some Musical Inspiration!**  
_

* * *

When Kenpachi and Yachiru were finally allowed into Miranda's room they found her dazed on her bed, next to her was an IV pumping pain medication into her system. Her breathing was short and shallow as she stared off into space. It took her a moment to process that they had come in and another for her to recognize them, she gave them a weak smile. Retsu Unohana was on the other side of her bed looking over her Medical chart, she had a frown on her face as she sighed and shook her head. On his shoulder Yachiru started to sniffled, the large man looked at her and was startled to see that she was fighting back tears. She jumped off of him and ran up to the bed, Miranda grabbed her tiny hand.

"I'm sorry," the little girl sobbed, "It's all my fault!"

"No it's not Yachiru," comforted Miranda, she sounded weak as she slowly rubbed the girls forehead, "It was an accident, they happen all the time."

Yachiru nodded through her tears though she didn't look entirely convinced, Retsu gave a smile and wandered around the bed. She gently pulled on Kenpachi's arm and took him to the side.

"I didn't expect to see her again," whispered the Captain, the larger man gave her a scoff and a glare,

"This wasn't my fault," he hissed back, "I was going to push Yachiru out of the way of that falling tree, she was just faster than I was."

"I understand that," said the Captain simply, she folded her hands against her body, "But there is something I wanted to discuss with you."

"What?"

"I think I can repair her hip."

For a moment Kenpachi was stunned, for a moment he fought for words, "You're serious?"

Retsu nodded, "I just need a few more minutes to see if she's eligible, which means I need to find her medical report from the world of the living, that document can tell me the extent of the damage and if I can go in and fix it."

Kenpachi nodded as he contemplated what it all meant for her, she could lead an almost normal life. Or as normal as one could possibly get, because he had to face the fact that she wasn't really normal. None of them were. She would move easier and not be in constant pain, she could easily keep up with everyone else and not have to feel less of herself. He looked at her on the bed, and she'd never have to go through something like this ever again. No more pain meds, no more worrying about having to sleep on her good side.

Without giving Retsu one last regard he walked over to her side and put a hand on Yachiru, she looked up at him with a tear stained face. With a quick jerk of his head the little girl wiped away her tears and gave Miranda one more hug before she followed Retsu out of the room. The larger Captain pulled up a chair and sat next to her, she had an unfathomable look in her eyes, she regarded him lightly and without emotion.

"The Truth Miranda." was all he said and she gave a weak laugh, to his surprise she nodded as she turned her head to look at the white ceiling.

"I suppose I owe you that much, huh?" She whispered, she was silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "I should start at the beginning, because truly it's where it all started. When I was little my parents and I lived in a tiny suburb, I went to a private school, had a ton a friends, and was even the junior cheer-leading squad. You could say I was popular and to be truthful I was. I had the perfect life and nothing could have made it any better, but something did. My mother got pregnant and had my little sister. I remember the day she came home, she was so tiny in my arms as I held her. I realized then that she was fragile, breakable, she had no one to protect her. I promised I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her and for a while our life was perfect."

Miranda closed her eyes, "That all changed when my father lost his job, eventually we couldn't afford my schooling and our house and we ended up moving. Kaitlynne was two when we moved into the small apartment in the city. I remember the smell of mold, the frightening sounds outside, she needed me more than ever now. My mother worked two jobs twenty-four seven while my father, unable to find a job, drank his life away. He was a mean drunk, Kaitlynne and I usually ended up hiding in our closet whenever he came home drunk."

"Then one night, out mother left and never came back. She had enough, and she obviously never cared about my sister and I to take us. Everything after that went downhill from there. I worked my ass off so we could pay our rent and bills, my father just wasted his life away drinking. I was just sixteen, my grades where failing I was struggling to keep Kait in school, I felt like I had no way out. If DCFS found about our living conditions they'd take away my sister and I, I just couldn't bear to be separated from her."

Suddenly Miranda stopped, she reopened her eyes and was staring at the ceiling again. She was silent, but Kenpachi waited patiently for her to start again, "Then I met him. I remember his black eyes, kind as if he cared about your problems. He made you feels safe, he made you feel like you could trust him. I should have seen it then, that being a part of his group was a bad idea. But I was desperate, he could see that and he took advantage of that."

"What was his name?"

"Braid..." she whispered, "And Braid knew how to make you do what he wanted, he manipulated you, made you see what was wrong and turned it into something right. He got inside her your head, and the worst part was we all let him. He had us all wrapped around his finger. In the beginning it wasn't so bad, I was just some kind of messenger. I was never involved in any of their big plans, I probably would have stayed there if it wasn't for the accident."

"It was like any other day, Kaitlynne wanted to go the park and play. We were walking down the main street, she was bouncing her ball. I saw someone I knew and stopped to talk while she played on the sidewalk. Her ball must have bounced away into the street, because the next moment I heard a car horn and screeching tires. I turned around and there she was standing like a deer in headlights, I knew she wouldn't move and I knew I didn't have much time before she got hit. I did the only thing that popped into my mind."

Kenpachi watched Miranda's face as it got more and more grim, she touched a weak hand to her injured hip and he could see she was fighting back tears, "I don't recall much after I got hit, I just remember unbearable pain. I remember wanting to die because it hurt so much but when I woke up i wasn't dead, I was in a hospital room having the doctor tell me I was never going to walk normal again. They did all they could to salvage my hip but I would never be able to walk if they hadn't put the rod in my side. I was lucky to be alive, they said. I was lucky I could even walk at this point, they said. I would be normal, it would be like as if nothing had gone wrong."

A single tear spilled over, "But I couldn't ignore the limp, the scars, the medication I had to take. They made it sound like I could just not see it, but it was there and it mocked me, reminding me what I had done. And it ruined my life, according to Braid I was no longer as useful as I could be. Those who no longer could be used by him were usually killed, I'll admit I was afraid. What would happen to Kaitlynne, she had no one but our dad and he couldn't take care of her. But he didn't kill me, he wanted to see me after I got out of therapy a few weeks later, I didn't know what I had walked into that night until I got there."

"I don't know who the poor guy was, they never told me his name. Then Braid handed me a gun, he told me to kill him, in cold blood. Then I would be useful again." There was a long silence before Miranda let out a chocked sob, "I couldn't do it, I couldn't look at that man and just shoot him. I just couldn't. I threw down the gun and ran, as fast as I could. But I knew it wasn't enough, they'd come after me; you just don't tell Braid no without consequences. That night, I packed what I could and my sister and I ran."

"But he was tenacious, he chased us across twelve different states. We must have ran for about a year until finally I just gave up. I remember the night where I was just ready to stop running. I called an old friend, he was part of Braid's gang but he had his own plans on quitting and hiding. He was really my only friend there, and he was smart enough to not trust Braid. He was nearby and he came to see me a few days later. I told him what I was doing, he tried to tell me not to, that there was still a chance for me and my sister to finally disappear. But I knew there was no hope, Braid was already in town. I asked my friend to find my sister a good home, that was all I wanted and finally he agreed. He was supposed to pick her up the next morning but Braid found me sooner than I expected."

"I barely had enough time to hide my sister before they kicked down the hotel door and came rushing in. They beat me, pretty damn hard too, by the time they were done with me Braid himself gave me one last chance. But I was done, I was done running from my demons, I wanted nothing more to do with life. I told him I'd see him in hell and he put the gun to my head."

Kenpachi was quiet, she had it rough. That much he had to admit. She tried her hardest to give her sister the life she believed she deserved, but why was that so wrong. Everything bad just seemed to happen to Miranda all the time, she was a magnet for danger and her story proved it.

"Miranda," he said softly, she looked at him with sad eyes, "Everything you've done, you did it out of love for your sister. That doesn't make you a bad person." He leaned forward until he could almost reach out and wipe away her tears and he was about to when the door opened and Retsu stepped in, before she came over he whispered, "You're not a bad person." She gave him a small hopeful smile,

"You think so?"

"I do."

Another tear slipped loose as she nodded, "Thank you." and she wiped it away. Retsu walked to the end of her bed and looked between the two. Kenpachi moved away as the Captain cleared her throat.

"I think I may have some good news," she said, "Your hip is still fixable," Miranda heaved a sigh of relief but the Captain held up her hand, "But I think I may be able to fully repair it, so you can walk without the rod in her side."

Mandy gave her a wide eyed shocked stare, almost as if she couldn't believe the words. The second before she could look ecstatic she frowned, "What's the catch?"

"Catch?"

"Yes, what could go wrong, something like that doesn't have it's negatives."

Kenpachi wanted to smack her upside the head, this was a good thing and she was making it sound horrible. Retsu hesitated for a moment she sighed,

"There is a small chance you could never walk again, if the operation fails. But it is highly unlikely Miranda, our technology his more highly advanced than the livings, the odds of that happening is about ten percent."

"Odds are never usually in my favor." Miranda said dryly,

"The decision is up to you dear."

And for a minute or two the black haired woman contemplated her options, Kenpachi could see she really wanted to believe in the operation that could change her life, she was obviously considering it. They waited until finally Miranda looked up and nodded her head,

"Ok, I'll do it."

"Very well then," said Retsu excitedly, "I'll go tell the surgeons to make preparations, just a moment."

Miranda nodded and left she and Kenpachi alone, it was awkward for a moment. He wanted to give her comforting words, but he was never good at things like that so he didn't know what to say. When Retsu came back into the room with two nurses he made a split second decision and grabbed Miranda's hand as they began to wheel her away.

"You'll be fine," he said, and the look of pure happiness was enough for him as their fingers broke apart and left him alone in her room. Retsu was the last to leave, before she did she looked back at him,

"You can see her tomorrow, this surgery will last a while. And she'll need her rest." Kenpachi nodded slowly as the door closed, and for a minute he hoped she'd be okay.

_A/N: Well holy hell, I am on a roll! I was really excited about this chapter and it just seemed to come out easy. Now I wish I could take that enthusiasm and apply it to my Hellboy story, I really need to update that one. Oh well. I was thinking I might put in all my musical inspirations at the beginning of every chapter now, It kinda sets the mood now doesn't it._

_So what did you think of this chapter, I liked it and I'm starting on the next one like right now. I hope to have it up within the next day or two. Today even if I'm lucky. So you HAVE to let me know what you think, believe it or not I worked hard on this one. And Kenpachi even begins to show his feelings for her a little bit. LET ME KNOW! Hugs and kisses everyone!_

_2thestarsandabove_


	18. Recovery

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 18  
Recovery

**_I Cross My Heart - George Strait_**

_I cross my heart and promise to  
give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true  
In all the world, you'll never find  
A love that's as true as mine_

_**You Found Me - Kelly** **Clarkson**_

_You found me when no one else was looking  
How did you know just where I would be  
You broke through all of my confusion  
The ups and the downs and you still didn't leave  
I guess that you saw what nobody could see  
You found me_

* * *

Kenpachi couldn't sleep that night; he tossed and turned for hours on end, worried about Miranda, wondering how her surgery was going, hoping that she'd be okay when he arrived in the morning. As sunlight touched the Horizon he got out of bed and tried to wake himself up, he hoped that she'd be in her room by nine, and maybe awake. Yachiru came into the Mess Hall about seven rubbing her eyes, she still looked red in the eyes as she cuddled into Kenpachi's lap. She didn't touch her breakfast and the Captain wasn't about to force her. Everyone in the room was quiet, the only sound was silverware moving against plates.

Everyone knew about Miranda's condition, and everyone was just as worried and scared. When eight O'clock came Kenpachi left for the Fourth Squad with Yachiru in tow on his shoulder. They took the main market street as it was quicker to get to their destination through there. They were passing a small store when Yachiru gave an "Oh." The larger man stopped,

"What is it?"

Yachiru pointed a tiny finger to the glass window next to them, it was a jewelry store and sitting on a padded pillow in the window was a diamond piece, "Jingles was looking at that when we went shopping, she said it looked very pretty. I asked her why she didn't buy it, she said it was too expensive for her. It's a hair charm, and I think she wanted it very much."

Kenpachi looked at the charm, something like that was too expensive for a non seated officer, they weren't paid enough. But not so much for a Captain... With a shake of his head he continued walking toward Fourth and a half an hour later they slipped through the front doors. A Healer looked up from her work and nodded at him, he didn't return the gesture as he walked down the hall and found her room. Retsu was standing at the foot of her bed with a needle in her hand, she kept pricking her in the heel and asking her if she could feel it. Every time the black haired young woman shook her head no, she looked sick with worry. Captain Unohana frowned but it was gone before the woman could see it,

"We'll try again later, these things take time dear." Miranda didn't look entirely convinced but she nodded none the less. She looked up at the door and a grin broke out on her face at the sight of them. Retsu bowed to the both of them and left the trio in peace, Yachiru bounced off of Kenpachi and ran up to the bed,

"How are you feeling Jingles?"

"Good, Captain Unohana hopes to start my therapy as soon as I can feel my feet again." she said happily but she couldn't mask the worry from Kenpachi. They must have been working on her circulation all morning but to no avail, it was clear to him that she was getting scared. She had taken this risk knowing full well it could fail. Still he could see that her hopes were getting low.

He cleared his throat and her attention snapped to him, she gave him a knowing look, "You didn't sleep well last night, I can see it in your face. Both of you." she pretended to be a scolding mother, "Now don't tell me you were both worried about me." Yachiru giggled as she leaned over and gave the woman's waist a hug,

"Yes we were Jingles, you were hurt. I was very afraid for you."

"Someone has to worry about you," added Kenpachi as he stepped behind his adoptive daughter and put his hands on her shoulders, "It's obvious you don't."

She laughed a little, and he was glad to see she was feeling and looking much better, perhaps for a little while he could make her forget about her surgery and her worry. He looked down at Yachiru and shook her shoulders, "You didn't eat this morning," he said, she gave a small moan, "I'd like you to go and see Captain Unohana, maybe they still have some food."

She looked like she wanted to protest but one look from Miranda silenced her, she nodded gave the older woman and Kenpachi a hug and went off in search of food. It was quiet between him and her, he wanted to comfort her, but the words he wanted to say wouldn't come out. But before he could find the words she spoke before him,

"Did you mean it, when you said I wasn't a bad person?"

He looked down at her and saw the hope in her eyes, he gave her small smile and nodded, "Yes, I did." He pulled the chair near her again and sat with his arms resting knees so he was leaning towards her. Her eyes glittered with happiness at him and he swore she was blushing, she looked away and concentrated on her feet,

"She says I should keep trying to move my toes," she whispered, she was staring at them so hard, her face set into a tight mask. After a while she let go of her breath and sighed, "I'm scared," she admitted, Kenpachi watched her as she wrung her hands, "What if I can't walk again?"

"So?" replied the Captain, he barely noticed he had grabbed her hand, "What difference does it make, you'll still be Miranda. Everybody loves you for who you are, not because you can or can't walk."

"You think?"

"I know." confirmed the large man, he squeezed her hand gently in reassurance and Miranda seemed to accept, "But that doesn't mean you can give up, keep fighting until you know you're out, you don't know what will happen now, just because they can't move doesn't mean anything is wrong."

Mandy nodded as she gripped his hand back, her eyes seemed to be thanking him for all the comfort he was giving, "Thank you." she whispered and Kenpachi nodded. They must have sat for an hour and talked, while Miranda tried to wiggle her toes, pointless banter but when he had to go she looked better and much happier. She got to say good-bye to Yachiru before she was wheeled away for more Therapy. The pair watched her leave and then went home for lunch, Kenpachi felt confident that she was going to get better.

* * *

Kenpachi's visit had truly made her day, when Miranda had spent the hours of the morning tried to move her toes she had got it in her head that she'd never be able to walk and therefore never be of any use to anyone again. He had reassured that even if she couldn't walk again, everyone would still see her as Miranda. She didn't know he was capable of such tender thoughts, a big man like him shouldn't have been able to say those nice things about her. But he did, and she felt warm on the inside.

She spent her afternoon being a subject of many treatments but no one could get her feet to move. But Kenpachi had not given hope and neither would she. after she had been brought back to her room for lunch she began her mantra in her head as she stared down her toes,

"Wiggle the big toe" she said to herself, "Wiggle the big toe." She was concentrating she was starting to break a sweat. It was how Unohana found her when evening fell, her plate of food untouched still staring her toes with her tongue stuck between her teeth. The Captain walked up to her bed and looked down and if hadn't been for her well trained eye she would have missed her big to move a fraction of an inch. Miranda felt it and a large grin spread out across her face in triumph.

* * *

The small Jewelry store was closing, having served it's last customer. The woman who ran the shop was a bit surprised when a Captain had walked in and asked for the price on the Hair Piece sitting in the window. She named the numbers but he didn't even bat an eyelash as he handed over a large bag of money. She wrapped it up for him quickly and as she saw him out she had to wonder who the piece was for. It wasn't like Captain Zaraki to spend money without having a good reason.

_A/N: I swear the writing gods are on my sides, excuse while I go thank the Greek muses for all my inspiration. I hope they keep me going with good ideas for this story. So you honestly have to review and tell me what you think because let's face it, I'm pretty desperate to know. I'm working really really hard._

_I do have a question though and I hope you guys let me know, now this story is rated M for some language and violence, I was wondering, do you guys want me to write a Lemon that goes along with this? If so, you'll have to give me some time to write it, cause for one I'm hardly any good at them, but if I try I can write a pretty good one. So PM me and tell me what you think._

_Anyway, enjoy the chapter, REVIEW, and flame away if need be._


	19. Christmas

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 19  
Christmas

**_I wouldn't Be A Man - Josh Turner_**

_I wouldn't be a man if I didn't feel like this  
I wouldn't be a man, if a woman like you was anything I could resist  
I'd have to be from another planet where love doesn't exist  
I wouldn't be a man if I didn't like this_

_**Can You feel the Love tonight - Sir Elton John**_

_And can you feel the love tonight?  
It is where we are  
It's enough for this wide eyed wander that we got this far_

_And can you feel the love tonight?  
How's it's laid to rest  
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds believe the very best_

* * *

Everyday she got a new visitor, everyday she got more flowers, more get well cards, and everyday she felt better than she had before. Three days after her hip operation she started therapy, a week later she was able to move around but with a limp. The doctors told her this was normal, but Miranda wasn't about to be discouraged and within another week she was walking around the Fourth Squad compound as normally as any other person. Needless to say her doctors were stunned, her rate of recovery was outstanding, she was healing quicker than they expected, she was flying through therapy. If she was lucky she'd be out by Christmas day.

And every evening, always on time, was Kenpachi and Yachiru. Both had a large bouquet of flowers in their hands, Yachiru had daisies, the Captain was nervously holding roses for her. She took them and thanked them both, noting that Kenpachi was rubbing the back of his head nervously. For at least an hour Yachiru would sit next to Miranda on the bed and talk to her about her day, occasionally the older woman would gather the little girl in her arms and cuddle her in her lap. It was then the child would bury her face into her chest and sigh happily.

As the little girl dozed lazily in her lap, she and the Captain would talk. The laughter he brought with him with stories about what was happening at home seemed to light up her face as she giggled at the antics he described. Around Nine Yachiru would be asleep and the Captain would gather her up to take her up, it was the only time he got near Miranda, when ever he met her eyes before standing up she was always greeted with the soft gaze of his green eyes. She swore she could see tenderness laced in them, and as always she felt herself get warm in the face. He could see, she knew that but she could see the way he always got nervous around her. Maybe he did feel something after all, she liked to believe he did.

Finally the Twenty-Fifth arrived, the morning was cold and snowy giving the surroundings a light dusting of white, muffling the sounds of the world outside. It was unfortunate for Miranda she had to spend most of the day doing the last of her therapy. She was desperate to get out, she wanted to taste the outside again, she wanted to be with her friends, she wanted to see their smiling faces. She wanted to finally go home. She could almost see the Squad enjoying the dinner she had planned out, all eating in the beautifully decorated Mess Hall with the gifts sitting underneath the twinkling tree. By noon she was almost ready to be discharged; she waited patiently on her bed swinging her legs easily as her doctors verified her papers and gave her prescriptions.

As they handed over her Medicine she got a lecture of what she wasn't supposed do for the next few weeks, they gave her a list of exercises she needed to do to strengthen the muscles in her hip, and around one she was finally set free. Miranda took a deep breath of fresh crisp air as she stepped out the front doors to the Hospital. Never before had snow and cloudy grey skies looked so wonderful, she grinned as she started for home. The streets were empty and in the air was a light smell of spices and sweets. She could hear laughter and talking in many houses and she gave a laugh at what was waiting for her back at home.

It took her an hour to walk back to Squad Eleven, the gates were thrown wide open and the courtyard had been recently shoveled. She stepped up onto the stairs and into the main hall and was slightly surprised when she founded it completely empty. She frowned, where was everyone? Then it hit her, they were probably in the only place that made them feel full and warm. She walked down the open hallways but before she headed to the Mess Hall she stopped in her room to drop off her things. She then dug around her closet and dresser for all the presents she had bought Yachiru. With full arms she wandered down the hall to the Dining Room.

* * *

Breakfast wasn't the best he ever had, but Kenpachi had to admit it was good. After that Yachiru was finally allowed to open her presents and all would remember her squeals of delight at all the toys and treats she got that day. Friends exchanged gifts with one another. Ikkaku had bought Yumachika hair products while he returned the favor with the Medicine Ikkaku liked to keep in his Zanpakuto. Kenpachi really hadn't received anything, and he wasn't expecting any gifts anyway. He was more than happy to watch Yachiru play with her new toys for most of the morning. Noon rolled around and the kitchen aides put out lunch which wasn't as filling as breakfast, but they wanted to save room for dinner anyway.

Kenpachi was leaning on his hands watching his daughter run around like a maniac, he was full and content and in the back of his mind he was wondering when Miranda would be coming home. He knew she was getting out sometime today but the Doctors never told him when. Every so often he would look at the door and hope she would come sweeping in. There was a loud buzz of talk as Kenpachi sighed lazily, then everything went quiet. He hand't noticed the door opening and when he turned to look Miranda was standing in the doorway, covered with a light dust of snow. Her arms were full of brightly wrapped presents, on her face was a soft smile. The stunned silence turned to loud cheers of welcome as she stepped in and closed the door behind her, everyone seemed to rush her at once. Mixed voices asked her how she was feeling, others offered to liberate her hands, another offered her a seat, but everyone was absolutely ecstatic to see her. It was then Kenpachi realized she had changed so much since she had been here. No one in their right mind would act like this with anyone else, but she had all of them so thoroughly wrapped around her finger. Even him.

Eventually Miranda managed to calm them all down as she walked over to the head table where he was sitting, he couldn't help feeling happy to see her. He scooted over and helped her down as Yachiru came running over. The Surgery had done wonders for her, she was sitting as normally as anyone else, she was able to cross her legs instead of having to awkwardly stretch out her legs and lean to her good side. She wasn't in pain anymore and it showed when Yachiru hopped into her lap and began to open all the presents Miranda had gotten for her. He thought about the box that was sitting on his dresser, his present to her. Yachiru said she had wanted it; he had bought it on a whim and deep inside he hoped she liked it. He didn't care about how much it cost him, he'd spend more if he could see her smile at him, like she was doing now. He didn't even realize he was staring at her, but she met his gaze with deep ocean blue eyes and they glittered as they often did when she was feeling good. Or when she was around him.

Did she feel like this when she was with him, like everything about the world was right when he was near to her like she was to him? Did she want to wrap his arms around him as he took her into his arms and keep her away from everyone? He wanted to know what it was like to kiss her, to cover her mouth with his, he wanted to know what it was like to take her, to make her fully and truly his. Did she want to know too, did she want to be with him?

Yachiru was excited about her new toys, she was playing with them in Miranda's lap when she suddenly put them down and wrapped her arms around the older woman's waist. She buried her face in her chest and sighed, but as she looked up her face was sad, sincere, and innocent, "Jingles," she said, "Is this what it feels like to have a mommy?" Kenpachi's heart caught in his chest as he did a quick double take at Miranda, her face was set into a deadly white mask, her eyes were thrown wide open and she started to look terrified. She stuttered for a moment, before she laid Yachiru gently on the floor and got up and all but ran out of the room.

* * *

Of all the things Yachiru could have said, it had to be the one thing that was sure to break Miranda's heart. When had the little girl started to see her as her mother? She knew the child never really had one, but she always assumed that Kenpachi, Ikkaku, and Yumachika made up for the absence of one, especially Yumachika. She felt herself starting to cry as she rushed towards her room; pathetic, she told herself. She was just pathetic, she had earned to unconditional love of a child who saw her as the female support she never had, and she was falling in love with her adoptive father. Falling? No she had fallen in love with him, she felt it now deep inside her heart and she cried because she was so afraid he would never see her in the same way. Could the signs she had been seeing be all wrong, was that all just him trying to be her friend? She didn't know anymore.

She wanted to hide, she felt so alone and humiliated, she didn't want to face Kenpachi or anyone else. She wiped away her tears and was about to diver into her room when she heard someone approaching from behind,

"Miranda?" Her heart skipped a beat, as she wiped her nose and eyes, trying to make it look like she hadn't been crying. She turned around and the look from Kenpachi's face told her she wasn't hiding it all well enough, "Are you alright?" he asked cautiously, she gave him a forced smile,

"Yeah," she averted her eyes so she didn't have to look at him, "She just caught me by surprise, you know?"

He looked like he didn't believe her, gods she must look so terrible right now if he could see that. But she tried to act happy for him at least, but he just frowned at her. Why did he have to be so damn perceptive, but she was relieved that he didn't push the subject, he glanced at his bedroom door before he turned to her and motioned for her to stay,

"Don't go anywhere," he said sternly, she almost giggled as he disappeared inside his bedroom. A few moments later he came out with a box in his hands, her heart skipped several beats. Had he gotten her a present? She really didn't expect one, especially from him. When he came back to her he held it out for her to take, he looked embarrassed, this was obviously a new thing for him, "Here, uh... Merry Christmas." he muttered.

"Thank you." she whispered as she gently took it, it was a plain white box wrapped with a red bow. It felt light and she wondered what was in it as she opened the lid to her present. She covered her mouth as she let out a gasp, she nearly dropped the box in shock as her eyes widened in surprise. Nestled safely within the depths was the exquisite hair charm she had seen in the window of the Jewelry store nearly two months ago. It glittered in the light of the fading afternoon sun as she felt herself start to cry again, she looked up at him,

"This is the...nicest thing," she said as she wiped away a stray tear, "anyone has ever done for me." She laughed as she held back a sob, it was the nicest thing she had ever received. She wanted to hug him but her fear of his rejection stopped her, "Thank you." she sobbed as she finally broke down into tears, she didn't want to cry in front of him, she must look so weak. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up and was surprised when Kenpachi's other hand wiped away her tears, there was a small smile on his face as he stepped closer to her. She swallowed as her brushed a strand of her hair and rested his hand on the back of her neck, she stopped breathing. A warm feeling spread inside of her as he gazed at her the way he usually did, and in the moment she recognized it as love.

Without warning he swooped down and kissed her, he pulled her up until she was standing on her toes and she dropped her present as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms went around her waist as he tried to bring her closer to him. His kiss was powerful, hot, and possessive it asked for nothing less than her heart and her soul, everything she was so willing to give if only he had returned to feelings she had for him. And he did, she knew it now, she could feel it when he held her in his arms. Miranda felt like she couldn't breath as they broke apart and came together again, gods she burned for this man as he broke their kiss again and buried his face into her neck. His breathing was ragged as his arms tightened around her, as if he never wanted to let her go.

"Miranda," his voice was soft, "I don't know how to tell you.. how I feel-"

"Then don't say anything at all," was her whispered reply, she kissed his temple as his arms wrapped around her even tighter, if it was even possible, "I know."

They kissed again, softer this time, as if Kenpachi was trying to memorize each one. After, he just held her close, his chin resting atop her head as it lay across his chest. They must have stood there for an hour, not caring if anyone walked by. Let them see, they'd never say anything if only to tell them "Finally." Miranda yawned which startled her but caused Kenpachi to chuckle, she heard his chest rumble with his laughter and she smiled. He picked her up, much to her pleasure and surprise, and he carried her into her bedroom and he lay her on her bed. She cuddled under her sheets, a small content smile on her face, and before she felt him get off her bed, his lips brushed her forehead. She closed her eyes and sighed, but she heard him come back into her room momentarily and leave. She lifted her head as he slid her door back and realized that he had left her opened present on her bedside table.

She touched her lips where not moments ago he had kissed her, she couldn't stop the school girl giggle that escaped her mouth.

_A/N: Well what did you think, and I know half of you are thinking "FINALLY!" and yes, I'm thinking so too. It was a lot of fun to write, especially the part with Yachiru where she asked if Miranda's love was like having a mother's love. Do you think it is? Also, you have got to listen to "I wouldn't be a man" by Josh turner, during the part where they kiss, it makes it so much more romantic. *Swoons*_

_Anyway, you have to review! and if you guys would like me too, let me know if you would like a Lemon! Stay tuned!_

_2thestarsandabove_


	20. Kenpachi's Girlfriend

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 20  
Kenpachi's Girlfriend

_**Angel Eyes - Love and Theft**_

_There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes  
She's a little bit of heaven with a wild side  
She's got a rebel heart a country mile wide  
There's a little bit of devil in those angel eyes_

* * *

He stood outside her door, hands on either side of the frame breathing hard in an effort to control his rapidly beating heart. That had to have been the most nerve wracking moment of his life, but in the end so worth it. He didn't know what made him do it in the first place, he was more than content to just give her the present and see her smile. But when she started to cry something inside him stirred, he didn't want to see her tears. He wanted to see her smile, he wanted to see her smile at him like she always did. It was like time had slowed when he pulled her in close and bent to kiss her, she felt so perfect against him, he never wanted to let her go. And when she held him in her arms it was like nothing else mattered. Kenpachi smiled, if only a little, he wouldn't openly admit he was happy, happier than he had been in a very long time. What he felt for her wasn't a simple need and then push her to the side, like he had done so many times before; no he wanted so much more than that. He wanted every single bit of her: heart, body, and soul.

Kenpachi pushed himself off the wall, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes and he took in a deep breath of fresh afternoon air. Then he walked off back to the Mess Hall, he knew everyone would want a damage report, he was still debating on whether not to tell them that Miranda was officially his now. Suddenly he realized he didn't care if they knew or not, what did it matter to them? To be simple, it didn't and it made Kenpachi laugh at the fact he was fucking all pretenses and just jumping right in.

He had barely pushed open the Cafeteria doors when he was bombarded with questions, he answered them with a short, "She's lying down." No one argued with him as he resumed his regular spot at the head of the room. Yachiru was in his lap in a millisecond, large pink eyes near to tears,

"Ken-Chan, is Jingles alright? I didn't mean to hurt her feelings!"

Kenpachi chuckled at her and rubbed her hair softly, "You didn't, you just caught her by surprise. Why don't you two talk about it tomorrow?" The little girl nodded eagerly before she gave him a quick hug and went off to play with her new toys. The Captain watched her and thought back to what she said. Never in his life did he ever consider the fact that perhaps Yachiru did need a mother. He always thought that he would always be enough, and when Ikkaku and Yumachika came into the picture he thought they made a pretty rounded family. Maybe Yachiru saw something in Miranda that she desperately wanted but didn't know she needed it at the time. Maybe they all needed it but still didn't know it.

* * *

Miranda slept peaceably and awoke refreshed and better than she had in a long time. She was sprawled over her bed as she slowly opened her eyes and saw the sun shining in through the window. Briefly she wondered what time it was and she registered the fact that she was late to work. She wanted to giggle, she was just home for the hospital and she was already thinking about her job. She was supposed to be milking up all the attention, but it really didn't feel right to her. Miranda groaned as she stretched out and felt several of her bones pop, with a grunt she sat up quickly and got out of bed. With a shuffle she walked into her bathroom to shower and get ready for her day. She was walking out of her hot bathroom, steam rolling out of the doorway, when she spotted the open box. Her mind raced back to the afternoon before and immediately her fingers went to her lips. A rush of excitement ran up her spine as she thought about his lips on hers.

Another school girl giggle escaped, she had thought it was just some wishful thinking turned into some weird dream. She wandered over to her bedside table and reached in to cradle her present. The hair piece glittered in the morning sun as she sat on her bed and admired it, she still couldn't believe Kenpachi had gone out and spent so much money on her. She couldn't believe she wasn't on the other side of a pane of glass admiring. This was hers now. She finished dressing and brushing her hair. She was about to put in the last of her charms when she decided against putting the bear in and she replaced it with her new gift. She dashed to her mirror and turned her head, enjoying how well the piece looked in her hair hanging by her face.

With a deep breath and a smile she left her room and wandered down to the kitchen. Remnant scents of last nights dinner still lingered in the air telling Mandy that it had gone well. She pushed open the Kitchen doors to Tsung and the rest of her friends, they all looked up at her and instantly they all gave each other knowing looks as she walked to the sink to wash her hands. As she scrubbed she noticed that the ring leader of the trio, Tsung had sidled his way up to her and was now leaning next to her on the counter. She gave him a glance from the corner of her eyes, slightly concerned as to why he was grinning at her.

"Nice charm, a gift from the Captain I take it?" It was all Mandy could do not to turn a deep shade of red, she cleared her throat but didn't dignify him with an answer. He laughed at her as she dried her hands, "I mean the Captain doesn't spend money on just anyone, you must be really special." Miranda could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as Tsung finally playfully pushed her in the shoulder, "Come on, I don't mean anything by it. Honestly we were all taking bets to see when you two would finally swallow you're pride and just admit that you guys had the hots for each other." Miranda did turn red, had it really been that obvious? She looked up at the black haired man as he turned to Lea and held out his hand, "That reminds me, pay up I said by Christmas."

The red head cursed under his breath as he threw a bag of money into his friends palm and gave him the finger. Miranda gave half a scoff and a laugh and she shook her head, " My relationship with the Captain aside," she tried to be stern but she ended giggling, she couldn't resist feeling so damn happy. They all broke out into a chorus of laughter until Miranda managed to calm down, "What are we making this morning, I haven't been making the lists the past few weeks."

"For good reason," replied Mitsarugi, "You shouldn't be working anyway Mandy, you just got out of the hospital. You know Captain will be upset to see you up and about."

"He can kiss my ass." muttered the black haired as she dug around the cabinets for pans,

"Excuse me?" Mandy froze as she heard a familiar voice echo from across the room. Mandy slowly glanced back to see Kenpachi glaring at her as he leaned against the door frame leading to the Mess Hall. She gave him a grin but he pushed himself off the wall and stalked over to her, an arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her up. He threw her over his shoulders as she gave a loud screech of protest, she pounded her fists on his arm. She knew he didn't feel it, but she had her dignity. Kenpachi stepped out of the kitchen and walked down the hallway as a bright and happy Yachiru scrambled up behind them and scurried up her Captains back to ride upon his other shoulder. The little girl looked at an irate Miranda and just gave her a huge grin,

"Don't be mad Jingles, Ken-Chan and I are taking you out for breakfast." She gave the older woman a stern look, "And you don't need to work, you have to heal up so you don't get hurt again!" For a moment Mandy felt like the little girl, she looked away from Yachiru and huffed as she rested her head on her hand and let Kenpachi drag her off who knows where.

* * *

Kenpachi went to check on Miranda the next morning and to his surprise found her gone. He panicked for a moment before getting a hold of himself and going to check her regular haunts. He was a tad bothered to see her working when she was supposed to be taking it easy, as it was voiced by the blonde kitchen aide, who had given him a nervous glance. Her reply would have made him laugh if he wasn't trying to be serious. When she recognized his voice she had the nerve to turn back and grin at him which irked irked him to no end. When he picked her up he did expect a fight, she pounded his shoulder wildly but they felt like nothing more than flea bites.

Taking her out for breakfast had been Yachiru's idea to begin with, he was kind of upset that he hadn't thought of it first, but he wasn't about to argue with an idea like that. As his daughter kept talking she kept suggesting idea after idea: A day on the town, window shopping, lunch. Basically a day without Miranda doing any work and just enjoying her very first day out of the hospital. Eventually she gave up fighting him, knowing full well she was going to lose. It was quiet for a while as they exited the Squad Eleven compound and walked down to the main street. Finally she gave an irritated huff,

"Put me down, I know how to walk." Kenpachi smirked,

"Not going to run away on me, are you?"

She hit him on the arm and with a laugh he stopped to set her down on her feet. She brushed off her legs and gave him half a glare while she tried to hide a smile underneath. Rolling his eyes at her he grabbed her by the hand and they started down the street side by side. Eventually she leaned her head onto his arm as they came onto the main shopping drag of shops, he glanced down at her to see her contently observing window shops. Kenpachi gave Yachiru a quick look; if she noticed anything different between the two of them she didn't say. He was also starting to notice the stares they were receiving, the street crowd mostly consisted of nobles hiding their faces as they turned to whisper to one another. Miranda seemed to pay them no mind so neither did he.

Eventually they reached a small restaurant and ducked inside, near the back was an open table and the trio weaved in and around people until they could finally sit down. Yachiru instantly dove for Miranda's lap, who was sitting right next to him. He made sure his back was against the wall so he could watch the door, sitting with his back to everyone else made him nervous. A quiet waitress received their order and came back with their drinks, as the lady left Kenpachi wondered if they were going to sit in a weird silence. He didn't have to really worried because Yachiru instantly went off into a tirade about her new presents from yesterday. The Captain mumbled something about the little girl not getting to bed until it was well after one in the morning, but Miranda laughed at the two.

When Breakfast came Miranda managed to start up a conversation about what she wanted to do for New Year's. He had no idea what she was talking about but he listened and nodded nonetheless. When they were done Kenpachi paid the bill and the trio headed out and started a walk around town, automatically her hand wrapped itself in his and she all but dragged him along the road as she and Yachiru chattered away. The day passed slowly as all of them spent the entire day out, not once did she ask to go home. In fact she looked more relaxed than ever with her head resting on his arm as they watched Yachiru exclaim at different things in shop windows.

Then, from behind, he heard loud whispers. He glanced back to spot a group of nobles openly staring at the couple. He looked down at Miranda and he was surprised to see her mouth set in a small frown and her eyebrows knitted together in anger. She noticed she was being gawked at and she was slowly losing her patience. Kenpachi, in an effort to keep her from losing her temper, nudged her along the path. But the damn group slowly tailed behind them hiding their words behind their hands, but they seemed to carry over in broken sentences.

"What rank is she..."

"Do you see her clothes...secondhand..."

"Captain... Not worthy of his time..."

Kenpachi grimaced as he heard a low growl erupt from her throat; if he looked down now he'd probably see her eyes narrowing and darkening until they were pretty damn near red. She was probably baring her teeth and he knew she was gripping the hell out of his arm. He grasped her hand tightly in reassurance but she was having a hell of a time. Finally they last straw for her floated over to them,

"Such a whore... She's dating him because he is a captain."

Miranda stopped dead in her tracks and spun around to the culprit who had said it loudly enough for the whole street to hear. The young woman was tiny in stature and build, she wore an expensive Kimono. She was hiding her face behind her intricately decorated fan. Her green eyes were wide with shock from the glare she was receiving from the black haired woman while her brown hair tumbled in the slight breeze.

"Keep staring." Snapped Miranda harshly, people in the street stopped to watch the scene with interest, "I might actually do a trick next time." There was dead silence as the two groups stared off each. Finally Mandy huffed as she wove her fingers with his and turned around, "And she called _me_ a whore..." she muttered as she dragged him along. There was a loud gasp as the trio left, when they were out of earshot Kenpachi let the laugh her was holding go. Indignantly Miranda hit him in the arm,

"What!" she exclaimed as Kenpachi wiped away a tear,

"You just insulted on of the noble families," he explained, "I think you just made my week a little more interesting." he set off into another fit of laughter as Yachiru and Miranda looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, "Laugh it up." Kenpachi just shook his head as they headed home, by tomorrow everyone would know that the cook of Squad Eleven and her Captain were an official couple.

_A/N: Sorry that took so long, I had two weeks of hell living with my psychotic uncle. and I don't mean that in any good way. Not to mention my birthday, then All Hallow's Eve last night. Needless to say I had oodles and oodles of fun. I hope this makes up for it, and I hope you had a Happy Halloween._

_2thestarsandabove_


	21. Self Worth

What I've been looking for  
Bleach Fanfic  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 21  
Self Worth

_Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?  
Ooh, heaven is a place on earth  
They say in heaven love comes first  
We'll make heaven a place on earth._

_Heaven-Belinda Carlisle  
~~_

Miranda figured dating Kenpachi wasn't any different than before. Well, except for the occasional day when he kidnapped her and spent the day sucking the breath out of her lungs. Not that she minded. Not the least bit. Other times, after finishing her work and if he had nothing to do, the two would sit upon their porch steps and enjoy each other's company. They would never talk during these moments; he'd have her sitting in his lap her head against his chest. And she would close her eyes and listen to his rhythmic breathing and feel his arms wrap comfortingly around her.

But he hadn't turned entirely soft on her; she'd have to be concerned if he did. There were the moments where he went out of his way to irritate her for his own amusement. She tried to not let him get to her but the damnable man knew how to press her buttons, like today. Miranda had been in the kitchen happily making lunch for the compound. She was humming a small tune unaware of the impending figure slipping in through the door and slowly creeping up on her. In the span of ten seconds several events happened at once: Miranda felt a pair of hands playfully pinch her insanely ticklish sides, she screamed loudly and reached back to smack a laughing Kenpachi who merely batted her hand away. Miranda then huffed loudly as red clouded her vision.

And that was where she found herself now, wondering what had happened after her big blank. She was sitting in the Mess Hall on the floor while Ikkaku was eyeing her warily with a large kitchen knife in his hands. Briefly Mandy wondered why he had it in the first place. The third seat ended up answering that for her,

"I don't believe you." She replied simply, she stuck her nose up at him defiantly as the bald man chuckled.

"Well, we have several eyewitnesses that would be more than happy to validate it." Mandy scowled,

"Look, I know I'm a little on the psychotic side but there is no way I chased Kenpachi around the barracks with a kitchen knife. I think I would remember something like that."

"Well, apparently not because you did and you were screaming like a madwoman while he ran away laughing his ass off. I mean he had tears coming out of his eyes, I've honestly never seen anything like it."

Mandy gave the third seat another scowl and crossed her arms with a huff, "Where is troublemaker anyway?"

"Yachiru and Yumachika are trying to get him to calm down; he's still a little hysterical at the moment." Ikkaku shrugged and played with the knife in his fingers while Miranda muttered under her breath. That man knew how to bring out the worst in her, when she saw him later she was really going to let him have it. With that Mandy got up and went back to work. As time passed that day she heard her undeniably hot, yet slightly immature boyfriend hover outside the kitchen door. She figured he had come to apologize but he eventually walked away deciding it was better to just leave her be.

After dinner that night Miranda was sitting patiently on the steps outside her bedroom door. It was a nice quiet evening, the winter months had passed on. January and turned to February then to March and most of the snow had melted away. The night air was sweet and a bit on the cool side as a pleasant breeze rippled by. Then Mandy heard Kenpachi's familiar heavy footsteps echo down the hall. She didn't look up at him until he sat down next to her,

"Why?"

Kenpachi chuckled a moment before reaching over and scooping her up into his arms. She protested only a bit before he settled her in his lap and brushed back her hair, "Boredom mostly." He murmured as his lips found the juncture between her neck and shoulder, "And you make it so easy."

Miranda gave a resigned laugh and rested her head on his torso, "You really need to give it a break then, because one moment I'm screaming and the next I'm having Ikkaku tell me I chased you around wielding a knife."

"You don't remember?"

"No."

Miranda felt Kenpachi's laugh rumble in his chest, in retaliation she jabbed her elbow into his gut. As she settled back into his embrace the silence between the two stretched comfortably. They looked up at the starry night together and a small smile crept up Mandy's face. And she knew she was comfortable enough with him when she fell asleep in his arms because she woke up in her bed the next morning not remembering how she got there.

The morning went on as usual; everyone ate and went off to do their own thing. Miranda was in the kitchen enjoying a cup of coffee when she heard the Kitchen door open. She looked back to see Yachiru run in and skid to a halt next to her chair,

"Jingles," she looked up at the older woman with big pleading pink eyes, "Can I ask a really big favor?"

"Of course sweetheart, what is it?"

"Well, I'm going to Byakushi's house to go and play with my friends. Big boobs was supposed to bring snacks but she forgot them! And now we don't have anything to eat, do you think you can make us some treats?" Miranda groaned on the inside. The look the pink haired little girl was too cute for words. And the older woman knew that if she denied the poor girl she'd retaliate with her kicked puppy look. She hated it when Yachiru did that because it was so damn irresistible. Miranda smiled and set aside her coffee,

"Ok, what do you want to bring?"

Later on, after all the work was done, she was sorry that she asked. Though Yachiru was more than capable of carrying someone at least three times her size but the pure amount of she asked for was more than she could handle. Miranda waited for the little girl to go fetch her wagon. The older woman counted out what Yachiru managed to get out of her and was slightly impressed with six plates of cookies, three batches of brownies, a small cooler of drinks, and an assortment of small cakes. It took a moment for Mandy to realize that Yachiru was a master con artist. She was surprised she never really saw it before, she manipulated everyone she met by either using her undeniably cute charm or scaring people into submission.

Eventually, Yachiru came back into the kitchen with her wagon in tow. The older woman packed it nice and tight and was about to send the little girl on her way when she looked up at her with wide innocent eyes,

"Do you want to come with me?"

Miranda hesitated and looked back at the counter. All her lists were done and her kitchen aides knew what to make. After playing with the idea she turned back to Yachiru and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't see why not." The little girl's face lit up and the pair went out the door and towards the gates. As the girls walked along they ran into Kenpachi, who looked a little stressed.

"You put off your paperwork again." Scolded Miranda as he came striding past. The Captain shot her an irritated glance,

"Onna…" he growled under his breath. It was her turn to look irked but she was also a little amused. He only called her "Onna" When she was getting on his nerves. It wasn't often but she had to feel some sort of feminine pride at getting a rise out of him.

"This wouldn't happen if you procrastinated so much." He glared this time and Mandy couldn't stifle back a laugh. She smiled as she leaned up onto her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. He relaxed and wrapped an arm around her waist to deepen the kiss.

"Leave me be." He murmured against her lips. Miranda chuckled and relaxed on her heels looking up at him. "Where are you two off to?"

"Yachiru invited me to her club meeting." Kenpachi groaned and opened his mouth to protest but Mandy shoved him in the chest. "I will do as I please Kenpachi Zaraki, I do not need your permission to do anything in my life." She watched with satisfaction as his mouth snapped shut but that didn't stop his unhappy glower. Miranda smiled and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, "I'll be back, I promise." She whispered and she slipped out of his arms easily. As she and Yachiru walked away she could feel his intense eyes on the back of her neck. Miranda wondered if it was a male trait to be possessive. The moment everyone and their mother knew that she and her Captain were an item Kenpachi might as well have plastered a sign on her forehead that said "Mine." It was ridiculous to be honest, every male in the whole Soul society was afraid to approach her for fear of the barbaric Captains wrath. He hated it when some other man but him even looked at Mandy. She immediately straightened him out after the second week.

But if she thought Kenpachi's possessiveness was bad it was nothing compared to the wrath she brought down on her head. The noble woman Miranda insulted brought hell upon the eleventh squad. Barely a week passed before the woman's father came pounding on the front door. He had a squadron of men with him and by the looks of things he looked ready to execute her. He demanded justice for his daughters lost honor. Surprisingly Kenpachi settled the matter swiftly. He, Ikkaku, Yumachika, Tsung, Mitzarugi, Lea, and even Yachiru stepped in between Miranda and the nobleman. The captain's proposal was fair, biased even: If they could cut through all of the men protecting Mandy then they could have her. But since it was Kenpachi, Ikkaku, Yumachika and the rest of her family they never stood a chance. The nobleman knew it too because he left with his tail between his legs and that was the end of it all. Except for the dirty looks she received whenever she walked out into town. But she wasn't all that concerned, she knew how to take care of herself and she almost always had someone with her.

The streets today were quiet though. The pair didn't run into anyone on their way to their meeting place. Miranda and Yachiru eventually came up to a pristine white mansion with a high fence surrounding the property. Without thought the little girl pushed open the gate while Mandy skidded to a halt. Pink eyes turned back to her curiously,

"Yachiru, we can't go in there. That's Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's house." The older woman couldn't help being startled when she got laughed at,

"Its okay, Jingles, Byakushi doesn't mind. Come on! Everyone's waiting!" With that the little girl marched right into the yard as if she owned the place. Miranda shifted nervously on her feet; she'd get into so much trouble if she went in there. She was still a non-seated officer of Squad Eleven and trespassing on a nobleman's house was a big offense. Insulting one noble family was enough, she really didn't want seconds. Just as she was about to turn around Yachiru came huffing out of the yard and clamped a tiny hand around her wrist. With surprising strength she dragged Miranda into the extremely well kept yard and up nearby steps that led straight into the house.

The two stopped at a length of wall and Yachiru bounced up and hit a hidden panel. Miranda watched in surprise as a secret door opened, a set of stairs led down into a large basement like room filled with women. They were setting out the food Miranda had prepared onto a large table. The room itself was large and had a homely feel to it. There was a pleasant buzz of chatter and laughter until everyone caught sight of Miranda. Several pairs of eyes landed on her studying her curiously. Miranda could feel herself get red in the face and was about to turn to leave.

"Everyone, this is Jingles. She made our snacks today since Big Boobs forgot them!"

"Hey!" cried out an indignant voice, Yachiru stuck out her tongue at the culprit and continued with her speech.

"You guys have to be super nice to her or else." With that Yachiru skipped off to the table leaving Miranda feeling like a deer in headlights. Slightly hoping she could slip out the door she stepped back only to bump into someone behind her. She gasped when she looked; Captain Retsu Unohana smiled gently at her as Miranda scrambled back and gave her a bow,

"Hello, my dear, I see Yachiru finally invited you to one of our get-togethers."

"Yes, Captain Unohana. Though to be honest I feel like a fish out of water here."

The captain laughed at her and motioned for her to turn around. Doing as she was told the older woman guided Mandy over to a group of women that were watching her curiously. The first one was a tall, beautiful orange haired woman with creamy skin. She was curvaceous with enormous breasts and bright blue eyes. The next woman was a pale, straight faced, monotone looking girl. She had long black hair tied back in a braid and wore a simple uniform with a skirt. Another girl, shorter than the rest, with black hair and intense violet colored eyes. Miranda swallowed nervously as they all studied her until finally the voluptuous beauty stepped forward and got into her face,

'So, you're Zaraki's new flame?"

Mandy felt herself get red in the face and she had to clench her fists to keep herself from hitting the woman. The lieutenant's badge on her arm did not escape notice as she began to shake from anger. Miranda did not like this woman's condescending tone as she glared at her. The lieutenant seemed to catch on to her mistake and she backed away and looked slightly abashed,

"I'm sorry, that was a little mean." Miranda smiled painfully. The orange haired woman held out her hand which Mandy took warily, "Rangiku Matsumoto, Lieutenant of Squad Ten." The monotone woman was next,

"Nemu Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant of Squad Twelve."

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki, Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen."

Miranda bowed her head, "It's an honor to meet you all." Rangiku laughed and slid up to her. She wrapped a friendly arm around Mandy's shoulders and squeezed,

"Are you kidding? It's an honor to meet _you_." She laughed playfully and shook her bit while Miranda chuckled nervously, "I mean all we hear Yachiru talk about is the famous Jingles of Squad Eleven. And you're way prettier than I expected." Mandy pulled away from the lieutenant suddenly and put a foot or two between them. The red head laughed warily as Rukia pushed her back,

"Open mouth, insert foot Rangiku. Don't mind her, her mouth runs faster than her brain." Rukia gazed at her assuredly, "She didn't mean anything by it. But I can imagine it must be a little difficult for you." Miranda was on the verge of thinking everyone had taken bets to see who could piss her off first. She didn't know who she was starting to dislike more. Fortunately for the Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen the captain of squad four came to her rescue,

"What Ms. Kuchiki means is that Captain Zaraki is not very well liked for his crass and rude behavior. You have obviously taken the time to look past that and see something truly amazing about him."

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry; we all must sound so judgmental and mean."

"You're not the first and you certainly won't be the last." Replied Miranda evenly, Rangiku nodded,

"Yeah, everyone heard about the trouble with the nobleman. Personally, his family needed to be taken down a few notches. But you're a nice person; a bid for power doesn't seem like you."

"Wait, what?" Miranda frowned as all four women glanced at each other. Rukia sighed deeply,

"You're a non-seated officer. That means you have absolutely no pull in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Zaraki is a Captain. I think you're smart enough to figure out the rest."

"That's ridiculous, I'm perfectly happy being a cook."

"But not everyone knows that." Retorted Retsu quietly. Miranda huffed and closed her eyes. She had expected some sort of trouble for dating a captain but this was completely absurd. Suddenly, Mandy didn't want to be here anymore. She needed time to think and process before she lost control and started to cry or do something equally embarrassing. She excused herself and walked towards the door,

"Jingles?" Yachiru cut her off and looked up at her. Miranda smiled sullenly,

"I have chores to do at home." She lied quickly. She bent down and kissed the little girl on the forehead, "Be home by dinnertime please." With a pat on the head she swept around the little girl and climbed the stairs. She listened to the hidden door slid shut before turning down the hall towards the backyard. She was just descending into the garden when she felt a pair of eyes on her back. She froze and looked behind her and to her horror found Byakuya Kuchiki watching her. His eyes betrayed nothing. Slowly he stood and strode over to her.

Miranda swallowed nervously and averted her eyes as he came to a stop in front of her. His deep voice snaked through her veins, "Who are you?"

"Miranda Miller, Captain. I'm the Squad Eleven cook."

"You are Zaraki's woman then." Miranda flinched at being called a woman but managed to hold her temper in check. The Captain noticed, "You dislike being called 'woman'?" She said nothing, "Answer me."

"Yes sir, I find it derogatory. I have a name and prefer it to be used."

There was a stretched silence as Miranda waited for retribution for her mouth. When none came she snuck a glance at Captain Kuchiki only to find him staring amusedly at her. His mouth was set into his smirk as his intense eyes bore into hers. Then, gracefully, he held out his arm towards the back gate and turned her around,

"Come, I will escort you home." Shocked Mandy was rooted into place as she watched the Captain walk away without her. Before leaving he turned back, "Are you coming or not? Or was you hurried departure from my house misleading?" A bit confused Mandy didn't argue with him and fell into step beside him as they stepped out onto the streets. Unlike earlier they were now filled with different people who all turned to watch the two walk down the street. She could almost feel them whispering behind her back and she felt the red creep up into her face.

"Don't let them get to you." Miranda snapped her gaze up to Byakuya; his gaze was settled on the road ahead of him, "You find yourself in a precarious position. You are faced with challenges you never had to deal with before and you feel like you're drowning beneath them. This is understandable."

Mandy felt all her problems begin to surface. She felt scared, scared that she wasn't going to be enough for Kenpachi. She was dating a captain after all; there was a certain way she had to be seen. And since she was a non seated officer everyone thought she was trying to gain power. It felt like everyone was out to get her and they all had her backed up against a wall. But it was comforting to know someone seemed to understand her troubles.

"Forget the prying eyes; they do not understand you or your feelings for the man you care about. Remain true to him, it is all he needs."

They finally arrived at the barrack gates. Byakuya stopped just before entering the courtyard while Miranda strode through. Suddenly she turned around, "Thank you, but Captain, if I may ask, how was it you knew what was was troubling me?"

They studied each other. A simple understanding seemed to pass between them as he chuckled, "My wife once suffered the same as you do. She doubted her value in my life because she came from nothing and believed there was nothing she could give me. That was a lie and you shouldn't believe it either."

Miranda watched him go with his words sinking in. When the last sight of him turned the corner she walked inside. Her footsteps echoed as she followed the familiar path to her room. Sitting on the porch looking up at the sky was Kenpachi. He looked up at her approach and caught the troubled expression on her face even though she tried to hide it. He got up and met her halfway and for minutes they stared at each. His eyes searched hers, he seemed unsure of how she was feeling. She realized something at that moment.

He was just as unsure and scared as she was. She wasn't the only one doubting their worth. For a while she had tried to hide the fact she felt like she wasn't enough to keep him happy. Miranda realized that he was having the same problems, he wasn't nobility. He came from nothing just the same as her and he too felt like he could never give her what she desired. It was then she also realized she desired him more than anything. There was nothing in her life she would change, most especially him. Mandy felt a smile touch her face as she jumped and flung her arms around Kenpachi's neck. As his arms wrapped around her waist their lips met in a passionate kiss.

* * *

_A/N: Holy shiz whiz. It's been a long time since I updated and here is a list as to why:_

_I ran out of juice. Plain and simple my inspiration just ran dry. I needed time to step back and figure out where I wanted to head next. One day I'm working on my Avengers FF and I find it just like that._

_My brother was in the hospital for a while so that had my attention for a while. That's is completely understandable._

_And finally I moved again. Permanently this time, hopefully. Anyway that took a little time._

_So I hope you forgive me and hope you enjoyed the chapter._

_2thestarsandabove_


	22. The New Recruit

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 22  
The New recruit

_The bluest sky don't seem so blue  
and the stars seem to be a little dimmer too  
Now that you're around you put them all to shame_

_You-Chris Young_

* * *

Kenpachi had been worried about Miranda for a while now. At first it was just little things like her frowning when she was working. Or when she'd come back from town all flustered and angry. Then she started to distance herself grumbling all day. He played with the idea of asking her what was bothering her, but he didn't want to hear it was him. The day she went the women's meeting with Yachiru he planned out what he was going to say and do. He sat on the porch steps brooding until he heard footsteps. He was surprised when he saw Miranda walking down the hallway with the same gloomy expression on her face. Her eyes snapped up to meet his and he couldn't fathom the look inside them. He got up and strode towards her. She looked up at him with crystal blue eyes and he felt the resounding uncertainty in his gut.

Why did he have to be so damn new at this? Why couldn't he just sweep her off her feet and give her the comfort she needed? Miranda gazed softly at him until the ghost of a smile touched her face. Suddenly she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He brought her in closer as their lips met in a kiss that echoed through him. It told him how much she needed him, that she'd never let him go. He realized in that moment that they were both walking in blind and that she was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. The first, of course, being Yachiru.

When Miranda pulled away she ran her fingers through his long hair, "I've been really off lately," she muttered softly as he wrapped his arms around her tighter, "And that's reflected poorly on you. I'm sorry."

Kenpachi chuckled as he kissed her gently, "I won't deny I've been worried about you."

"I'm sorry. They've been getting to me; I tried to tell myself that they weren't. But all I did was end up hurting you and me."

"They're just people," comforted Kenpachi, "their opinions don't matter."

Miranda smiled again, "I understand that now. I'll try harder."

"Don't try, just be you."

She gave him another hug. He reluctantly let her go after a while and watched her head off back to the kitchen again. A part of him was glad that whatever her problem had been had not been because of him. The other part was a bit irate at everyone else getting her so stressed. What kind of man was he if he couldn't even defend his own damn girlfriend? But a part of that had been her keeping her problems to herself. But he had also never asked her if anything was bothering her. There were so many ways this entire situation could have been avoided. Kenpachi thought it best to just leave it be, the problem was in the open. But he vowed if he noticed anything wrong in the future he ask her.

Kenpachi spent the rest of the day working on his backlogged paperwork until Miranda came into his office and dragged him to dinner. The Mess Hall was filled with loud laughter and chatter as Kenpachi watched Yachiru argue with Mandy over her vegetables. Yachiru was manipulative but she still had yet to pull a good one over Miranda to the little girl's frustration. Eventually she ate them with the threat that she'd get no dessert if she didn't. Then the older woman turned to him and ordered him to do the same or he'd get no dessert. He flicked a carrot back at her in retaliation. She threatened him with her fork and laughed.

Later that night, after Kenpachi had somewhat finished his work, he waited for Miranda on the porch steps that looked out onto the garden. The night was nice again, clear sky and a sweet breeze sweeping through the Seireitei. He leaned back on his hands and waited patiently for the sound of her light footsteps. When he heard them he looked up to see her. Her face and blue eyes were bright and happy. She had a smirk on her face as she settled herself into his lap. He felt male pride surge through him at the sound of her sigh and the way she rested her head on his chest.

They sat for an hour talking; Yachiru was brought up more than once. Mostly because of her behavioral issues. Miranda stated that she knew that Yachiru was still young and she still needed to be a kid but there were some instances where she should just know better. Kenpachi reluctantly agreed with her thinking over half of his adoptive daughter's issues were his doing. He was surprised when Miranda asked him if it was okay for her to start disciplining Yachiru a little more.

"I thought you kind of were." He muttered as he gazed down at her. Mandy shrugged her shoulders and glanced at him,

"You're the father figure in her life. That's your job, not mine."

He thought it was ironic when she said that. Yachiru saw Miranda as the mother she never had. Hardly a day went by without the little girl mentioning her favorite person. The black haired spitfire had changed a lot in their lives. There were fewer complaints about the men now; and less hassle over paperwork about it. The excursions into town for food were almost none existent since Miranda had taken over the kitchen and planned out all their meals. What was the point in going out to eat anymore when they had perfectly good food for them at home?

"What are you thinking about?" Miranda's soft whisper floated up to him. He looked down at her and gazed at her crystal deep eyes and smirked,

"About how much things have changed since you've been here."

"Is that good or bad?"

He chuckled as squeezed her against his chest, "Good. Very good."

"I'm glad."

* * *

Routine had a funny way of getting to a person. That realization hit Miranda as she was working on lunch for the Squad. The days had gone by in such a haze she hadn't even noticed her daily activities. They blurred together seamlessly until she couldn't discern one day from the last. She was just thinking she needed something to spice up her day when Tsung came running in. Mandy noticed he seemed a little over excited as he dashed around the kitchen island and grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you taking me?" Helpless she let her friend drag her along until they came to the main hall. The room was crowded with nearly everyone in the barracks. At the head of the room Kenpachi sat with Yachiru perched on his shoulder. Ikkaku and Yumachika were right behind him and all four of them seemed to be studying someone. Tsung grinned at her as he pushed her through,

"A new recruit. Usually new graduates come in the summertime, this one graduated early." Miranda pushed her way through the crowd that had gathered to scrutinize their fresh meat. "He's an American." Provided Tsung; Mandy rolled her eyes,

"Stop stereotyping me Tsung." She hissed as she squeezed through at last and she stopped short just behind the tall figure of someone she recognized. She tried to remember how to breathe as she slowly circled around; same choppy red hair, cocky green eyes, and goddamn his smirk!

"Ajax?"

The new recruit turned his head at the sound of her voice and seemed to stop just as short as she did. They studied each other closely; Mandy was well aware of the fact that everyone was watching the exchange but she'd take the time to be embarrassed later. Eventually she crossed her arms, there was only one way to tell if this was her best friend.

"September 6th, about 7:30 in the morning, where were you?"

He snickered, "Lying on your couch." Miranda felt the sardonic laugh leave her chest,

"After you came to my house drunk off your ass, puked on my floor, and passed out not five minutes later."

"Details." He replied, "During our last prank war what was your greatest achievement?"

"Slipping Water bugs into your dinner and watching you run to the bathroom."

"Bitch."

"Man-whore."

The red head threw back his head and laughed, "You haven't changed at all Miranda." Ajax grinned at her and Miranda felt herself giggle at the thought of her best friend being here. It had been over six years since she had last seen him and just like her he hadn't changed a bit either. Mandy glanced back at Kenpachi to find him gazing amusingly at her. She grinned at him and jerked a thumb towards Ajax,

"I'll vouch for this one." She received a smirk and a shake of his head,

"Don't matter, Onna, if he can't fight he can't stay."

"Just name a time and a place!" retorted Ajax hotly. His green eyes blazed defiantly over Miranda's head towards the captain. Kenpachi's laugh echoed throughout the room and a feral grin spread out on his face,

"Why don't you walk your talk, kid?"

Ajax's eyes narrowed at the Captain's challenge. Miranda sighed and rolled her eyes,

"Lower the Testosterone level, boys." She was promptly ignored as the two men glared at each other. Mandy was having the hardest time deciding whose ego was bigger at the moment. Finally Kenpachi tilted his head towards Yachiru, who was sitting quietly on his shoulder,

"Get my Zanpakuto and meet me in the Sparring Yard. I think it's time to teach this greenhorn how things work here."

_A/N: Okay I know I've been out of it for a while but I worked my butt off the last chapter and one review is all I get? Hmph. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and keep a look out for the next one. Because I think we all need a reminder on how much of a badass Kenpachi is. Also if you haven't noticed I've changed my name to SweetNamelessEcstasty._

_SweetNamelessEcstasy_


	23. Trust

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 23  
Trust

The Sparring Yard was deathly quiet. A breeze rustled by swiftly swaying the grass and leaves. Ajax swung his thin Zanpakuto around in the air as practice while Kenpachi waited patiently for Yachiru's return. Meanwhile, Miranda sat on the railing separating the yard and the walkways. Ikkaku and Yumachika lounged next to her observing her best friend closely. Mandy had absolute faith in Ajax, but she knew there was no way in hell he could ever beat Kenpachi . Ajax was sure to prove himself. And the man had a totally agreeable nature to him that made almost anyone like him. His favorite hobby next to sleeping was drinking which was sure to earn him some friends. And he was an excellent fighter even when he was alive.

Finally a pink blur burst out of a nearby hallway with Kenpachi's Zanpakuto in hand. She skidded to a halt at her captain's feet and tossed him his weapon and ran off to join Mandy on the railing. The quiet that had surrounded the Yard seemed to tense as Kenpachi unsheathed his sword and gave it a good practice swing. Everyone swallowed nervously as the two men finally faced off. Ajax held his sword in a defensive position waiting for the captain's first move.

At first Miranda didn't notice it; she had spent so much time around the compound and around Kenpachi that his intense and almost endless spiritual pressure no longer bothered her. But now she could feel it slowly increasing. She knew he was excited at the prospect of a good fight and she also knew it had been a while since the last one. And it seemed that Ajax could feel it too. He heaved a shuddering huff and hardened his stance.

Then Kenpachi simply disappeared. Miranda gasped as he instantly reappeared in front of the red head and swung his sword down hard atop of him. Ajax barely raised his weapon in time to block the attack and had to jump out of the way before being crushed by the Captain's mere weight. There wasn't enough time to react as Kenpachi swung his sword at Ajax's midsection, if her friend hadn't been a fast thinker his intestines would have been all over the ground. He jumped up out of reach, landed nimbly, and brought his weapon up to deflect a decapitation.

Miranda watched nervously chewing on her finger nails as the fight went on. Her heart jumped every time she thought her boyfriend was about to kill Jax. Ikkaku grumbled next her,

"The kid better hurry up and counter attack because this isn't any fun for Captain."

Miranda knew exactly what happened when Kenpachi got bored during a fight: either he killed his opponent with no mercy or tossed him aside like trash and ignored them. She hoped that his reaction would be the latter but her boyfriends intense behavior didn't bode well. Swing after swing, hit after hit Ajax kept dancing out of Kenpachi's reach while the Captain snarled in anger. Then everything changed: it started off with Jax finally parrying a blow perfectly. A ghost of a smile painted her best friends face as it sent the Captain reeling back. Then with a swift and fluid move he jumped up and grasped Kenpachi's blade with his bare hand. Blood trickled from the wound as Ajax pulled back and aimed for the Captain's bare chest. Miranda felt Jax's spirit pressure sharpen on impact causing a score of blood to erupt from the open wound. Cheers broke out among the crowd and Miranda felt herself call among them.

"Very nice," Complimented Yumachika suddenly; Miranda was a bit surprised, it was hard to get any kind of compliment out of the man on a good day, "even for year four year grad as ugly as him." Miranda rolled her eyes. The fight rose to a whole new level as Ajax began to follow the Captain's movements with ease. He wasn't as fast as Kenpachi but he was able to interpret where he would hit and could block in just the nick of time. The end of the fight happened just as fast as it had started. The two were almost a complete blur until Miranda saw a flash of silver and with awe watched as Kenpachi disarmed Ajax. His Zanpakuto was sent flying into the air and landed out of his reach. Before he could jump after it the Captain grabbed him by the collar of his Shihakushō and tossed him easily onto the ground.

Ajax groaned in pain and struggled to pick himself up. He looked up when Kenpachi's shadow fell over him ominously. Miranda watched in what felt like slow motion. For all the love she had for her boyfriend she could not allow what was to happen next. She jumped off the railing in a flash of black and threw her arms out wide in front of Ajax. Kenpachi's Zanpakuto, which had been brought back for a full swing, stopped short of hitting her. A collective gasp resounded through the air as Miranda glared defiantly at the man she had come to care for. His behavior was way out of line; Ajax had more than proven himself a capable fighter.

"That is enough." She hissed; green eyes narrowed at her as Kenpachi slowly lowered his sword away from her neck.

"Move." He ordered. Mandy held her ground as they glared at each other; it didn't matter if they were dating or not he was acting like a child. There was no reason to go and kill Ajax. It was cold and unnecessary. She didn't know what had gotten into her boyfriend but she wasn't about to stand for this. She turned her back on the larger man and grabbed Ajax under the shoulder. Easily she picked him up to his feet and started to drag him off the Yard.

"This fight is over." She spat at everyone. There were no arguments.

* * *

Miranda ran hot water over a wash cloth she had managed to find. She had taken Ajax to the kitchen so she could tend to his wounds. Kenpachi had managed to get a few cuts on his shoulder and they were bleeding profusely. The red head sat patiently on the counter next to the sink observing her carefully. When the wash cloth was thoroughly soaked she shed Ajax of his Shihakushō and gazed at the extent of the damage. The cuts weren't deep but she could see that they had been deliberately aimed for his neck. Carefully she touched the hot cloth to the opened skin and Jax hissed through his teeth.

"So, what did I do to piss your boyfriend off?" Mandy huffed and shrugged her shoulders. She retrieved a roll of gauze from a nearby cabinet. When she bound his shoulder she stepped back to admire her handiwork. She grinned at Ajax who just chuckled at her. Then as quickly as it came her smile faded away until there was only sadness left.

"Ajax…" she looked away from him. She didn't want him to see the tears she trying to fight back, "Is she…?"

"She's safe." Assured the red head softly; Mandy allowed a sigh to leave her as she laughed weakly. So her sister was in a safe home. At least now she could stop worrying. It had been Ajax whom she had seen before her death. It had been him to whom she had pleaded to find her sister a good home.

"Thank you." And just like him the red head waved away any credit and just grinned at her. A commotion from behind her caught Miranda's attention. She turned around just in time to watch Ikkaku and Yumachika push themselves through the door and come tumbling to a stop at her feet. It took a moment for them to recover but when they did Ikkaku was the first to grab her by the shoulders and shake her wildly,

"Are you insane!?" he exclaimed, Miranda was a little too dizzy answer as Ikkaku shook her even harder, "Captain is so pissed off right now-"

"Do you honestly think I'm afraid of Kenpachi Zaraki?!" she spat out; Miranda tore herself away from the third seat and glared. But as she glowered at him she began to notice the underlying intensity in the air. Kenpachi's spirit pressure was slowly on the rise. That usually spelled trouble for anyone who got caught in his way. But at this point she didn't care. She was more than happy to let him throw his temper tantrum. Yumachika sighed,

"What an ugly mess." He commented and he left the room. Miranda scowled at his exit and turned to Jax. He seemed unsure of what to do now and she couldn't blame him.

"Stay away from Kenpachi. He gets a little unpredictable when he's angry so try not to get within a five yard vicinity of him."

"Got it."

* * *

Miranda expected him to be brooding outside her bedroom door. In way she was proud that he was willing to try and talk this out. But it was too soon, they were still pissed off at each other which meant there would be less talking and more yelling. He heard her footsteps and looked up and immediately she felt like she was in an old gunslinger movie. Miranda averted her eyes from him and brushed past him to move to her door. In an instant she felt his hand wrap around her upper arm. He didn't grab her roughly or jerk her around. The touch was to get her attention and he got it, she spun around and glared up at him,

"I'm not really in the mood to talk to you right now"

The setting sun in the background set the sky ablaze with orange and red. It included Kenpachi in its very paint and seemed to harden his already angry expression. He disregarded her previous comment and let her go. But he didn't allow her to disappear. He used his body as a cage blocking the door and all possible exits. Mandy shrank back against the door a little,

"Mind explaining that nice display earlier, Onna?"

"My display?" she retorted indignantly, "What about yours, huh?"

"My rules are very clear, Onna, if he can't fight, he's of no use to me."

"You know damn well he can fight," she spat back; "Your problem is a hell of a lot bigger than that."

Miranda watched his emotions play across his face. He wasn't just angry at her, there was something else too. There was no reasonable explanation for taking out his fury on Ajax. Unless… But the idea seemed absurd. But the more she thought about it, it made sense.

"Are you," she hesitated for moment looking deep into his green eyes, "jealous of Ajax?" Her suspicion was confirmed when his defenses came flying up.

"I'm not jealous of _that _greenhorn." He growled. It took a little effort not to laugh breathlessly at him. If that wasn't jealousy, then she didn't know what was. It was written plainly on his face and exasperated she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"There is nothing to be jealous of, Kenpachi, this is ridiculous." A low growl erupted from his chest, "Ajax is my best friend. That's all."

"Give me one good reason why he won't take you from me." He snarled through his teeth. Miranda hit him as hard as she could in his chest.

"I shouldn't have to give you a reason. You should trust me, and besides, that's not my secret to tell."

"That's not good enough, Miranda!" He snapped. Mandy gave an irritated sighed and pushed him away. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked away,

"You should trust me, Kenpachi. It hurts me that you don't." she spun on her heel and slid open her door, "when you get your head out of your ass come talk to me." She slammed it shut behind her and cringed when she heard the loud snap of Kenpachi hitting something. A few moments his heavy footsteps disappeared and she allowed a shuddering sob escape her. How did this turn into such a nightmare?

_AN: Ok, so he didn't kick Ajax's ass epically but it's still better than I had expected. So this is the first fight between the two as a couple. Which is important because Kenpachi has to learn to trust Miranda when another man is in the picture. In the future chapter or two I'll be getting into a touchy subject so try not to hate me so much for it._

_In other news, I finally hit my first 100 reviews! WHOHOO! I was so happy that I finally reached that mark I wanted to come out with something special. But the next special thing I could come up with was a lemon. And that's already in the works. So you guys let me know, what do you guys want after the problem between Ajax, Kenpachi, and Miranda is over?_

_SweetNamelessEcstasy._


	24. Never Say Never

What I've Been Looking For  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
Chapter 24  
Never say Never

_You can never say never while we don't know it  
Time and time again  
Younger now than we were before  
Don't let me go_

_Never say never- The Fray_

* * *

Kenpachi didn't know whether or not he wanted strangle his girlfriend. He knew from the moment he met her she was pigheaded. Three days had already passed and he wasn't about to give into her will. He was Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and no woman was going to bring him to his knees and beg for forgiveness. Kenpachi sat in his office trying to finish his paperwork. If someone else were to give their opinion they'd say he was pouting. Though they wouldn't live long afterwards.

The Captain stared at the piece of paper in his hands. He was extremely distracted which was why he threw it down after reading the same sentence over five times. He ran a hand through his hair and let out an irritated sigh. He understood why she was so mad at him, sort of. The red haired greenhorn, Ajax, had been a friend of hers in her previous life. Seeing Miranda relax around him had sent Kenpachi's vision red. The idea of anyone other man knowing her as well as he did brought out some ugly possessive habits in him. Miranda hated it but Kenpachi couldn't help it. He was just a man after all.

But Ajax rubbed him the wrong way period, end of story. He didn't trust the kid at all. He had known Miranda longer than Kenpachi had. He understood her better than him. What was to stop Miranda from looking between him and her friend and choosing Ajax over him? Okay, so he felt a little insecure. This was his first serious relationship with a woman. And he really had no intention of fucking it up. Kenpachi let loose another sigh and tried again to get back to work.

He was distracted again by a knock on his office door.

"Enter."

It was a moment before it slid open and a tall figure stepped in. Kenpachi recognized the bright red hair and he glowered at Ajax as he closed the door behind him. Green eyes stared back at him evenly. He wasn't at all deterred by Kenpachi's open hostility. Finally he leaned his head up towards the ceiling,

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out you don't like me. But I'm willing to explain to you why I have no interest in Miranda."

It was silent. Then,

"You have two minutes."

* * *

Miranda sulked around her room reading a book. She leaned against her pillow seeing the words written but not really comprehending. She and Kenpachi were at a standstill. Neither refused to accept defeat and apologize first. Three days had passed since their argument and Mandy couldn't help feeling slightly depressed. She didn't like fighting with him, it made her feel terrible on the inside. They usually got along so well.

She let loose a depressed sigh and closed her book. As she was about to put the paperback away a knock on the door caught her attention. Miranda scoffed loudly,

"Go away, Kenpachi!"

The door slid open. Miranda snapped her eyes up and opened her mouth to yell at the Captain. Instead she found Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto standing at her door with her shirt wide open. She was peering down at her breasts, Mandy sputtered and turned away with a red face.

"Nope, these nice girls belong to Rangiku, and that's me!"

"Lieutenant," Mandy's face felt extremely warm, "Could you please, please, put your boobs back into your uniform."

"Aw, am I making you nervous?" teased the red haired beauty. Miranda chuckled uneasily as a pair or arms wrapped her shoulders, "don't worry, I put the girls away." There was an audible sigh of relief. Mandy turned and faced the grinning Lieutenant.

"Is there something you needed?"

"Well, in fact, yes. You see we all heard about your little spat with Captain Zaraki."

"Does everybody know?" snapped Miranda. Rangiku smirked and shrugged,

"Well, when little Yachiru comes to our meeting all upset because her two favorite people in the world are fighting you kind of take notice."

Mandy felt guilty, she had never considered the little girl's feelings. She wasn't as naïve as she let on. Seeing Kenpachi and Miranda fight was bound to upset her. The black haired woman sighed,

"I don't know what to do." She muttered, she sat in her bed with a thump and began to brood. The orange haired lieutenant flopped down next to her.

"Well," she said slowly, "I don't know what to do about your guy problems, but one thing I know for sure: When a woman is stressing the best medicine for her is a Girl's Day Out."

"That sounds fantastic…" she replied wistfully. Without warning Mandy was grabbed by the arm and dragged out the door. She gave a cry of indignation as Rangiku towed her down the hall.

* * *

_15 minutes later_

"Well, today is your lucky day!"

Miranda stared slack jawed at the large simple building. Steam rose out of the chimney's in waves and the air was ripe with smell different minerals. Inside there were sounds of laughter and soft voices talking. Rangiku pushed Mandy in headfirst and into a counter. A young woman smiled down at her with big blue eyes.

"Good day," she said with a bow, "How may I assist you?"

"Reservation for two!" replied Lieutenant Matsumoto cheerily. She picked Miranda up off the floor while the clerk nodded.

"Of course, Lieutenant, will you and your guest please follow me."

They followed the woman down a long hall and out the back the facility. As Mandy looked around at the different closed doors she poked Rangiku in the shoulder,

"Where are we?"

"I think you Americans call them Spas. Here in Japan they're called Onsen, or bathhouses."

"I don't mean to be rude," Mandy whispered as the clerk slid back a door and let them through, "But I don't think I can afford this."

"That's why I'm paying, silly." There were showers lining the walls with towels lining a shelf at the far end. "Before we get into the hot springs we have to shower first. Make sure to scrub really well!" The tiny woman watched the busty lieutenant shed her uniform and skip into a nearby shower. Eventually, Miranda shrugged her shoulders and within fifteen minutes she was sopping wet, thoroughly washed down, and following Rangiku through another door shivering in her towel.

She didn't need to worry long. An intense wave of heat swamped her as the Lieutenant closed the door and almost sprinted to the hot spring. Miranda followed her example and neatly folded her towel before slipping in. Almost instantly her whole body relaxed in the soothing heat. Her back, which had been killing her for days, sighed in relief. Aching muscles and joints gave cries of joy as they reveled in the water.

"This is more like it." Murmured Rangiku as she sank deeper into the water, Miranda chuckled,

"Yeah, you said it."

"So, do you want to talk?"

Mandy mulled it over for a bit, "Maybe later, right now this is really nice."

Rangiku giggled, "Ok."

They spent fifteen minutes in silence, enjoying the sounds of the water bubbling around them. The heat sent their minds into a hazy, delirious mess. Mandy sighed through her nose and smiled as the smell of fresh minerals cleaned her sinuses. After fifteen minutes passed another kind lady came to collect them. The two giggling girls followed her down to another room where they spent a good portion of three hours trying to meditate.

Afterwards Miranda found herself trying to relax on a long, cushy table. The towel was wrapped securely around her waist as she tried to breath in deep. The smell of medicinal herbs permeated her senses as a moan struggled past her throat. An older woman expertly pressed her fingers into her shoulders, working out the knots she found there. Without a doubt, this was heaven.

"So what started that argument between you and Captain Zaraki?"

Mandy grunted as the masseuse dug her nails into her skin. "The new recruit that was assigned to Squad Eleven was my best friend in my past life." She explained evenly, she shuddered as skillful hands found a knot on her lower back and began to roll it out. It was moments like these she wished she had a meat tenderizer. "Kenpachi got really jealous and tried to kill him."

"I imagine you were upset?"

"Of course I was," replied Mandy indignantly, "Ajax is my best friend, I wasn't about to let Kenpachi lop his head off for no good reason. Besides, he has no reason to fear Jax."

"Why?"

Miranda hesitated; she didn't feel comfortable telling everyone about Ajax's personal preferences. Her uncertainty must have shown on her face because Rangiku shrugged her shoulders, "If you don't want to say that's fine, but I hope you understand that you're leading Captain Zaraki on by doing that."

"What do you mean?"

"By not telling him why he doesn't need to get so uptight you're implying that you and your best friend already have a history. And taking into account the fact that this is Captain Zaraki's first serious relationship you've basically made him paranoid and insecure."

Miranda bit her lip. She had never thought about it like that. Of course she knew everything about her friendship with Ajax but Kenpachi didn't know that. She could see now why he was so upset with her. But he still needed to learn to trust her and his possessiveness was beyond irritating. But he was only acting the way he knew how to act. Miranda sighed,

"I don't understand him sometimes."

This time her masseuse answered, "Captain Zaraki is a man, and like most men he does not think with the head attached to his shoulders."

When the loud peal of laughter died down Rangiku smirked at her, "So until he's given a good, legitimate reason Zaraki is going to act like a man whose dominance is being threatened."

Eventually all good things must come to an end. Feeling better than she had in a long while Miranda skipped out of the Onsen with Rangiku in tow. They talked and laughed on their way back to Squad Eleven but not without stopping down at the market street for window shopping. It was starting to get dark when they finally managed to get back to the gates. Before parting ways Mandy wrapped Rangiku into a hug,

"Thank you," she whispered, "I feel so much better." The lieutenant rolled her eyes and smirked,

"There's nothing a little pampering can't fix."

With a final wave goodbye Mandy disappeared inside. The halls were peacefully quiet as she walked down to her room and the garden. She was a tad surprised to find that Kenpachi wasn't brooding outside his bedroom door. For the past three nights he sat outside in the garden while Miranda, being the difficult woman she was, marched right into her room.

She traced the railing slightly before settling herself into her usual spot. She looked up at the orange and red sky. There was a late spring breeze as the months became slowly warmer. Soon summer would be upon them. One by one stars began to paint the darkening sky. She was entranced by its beauty she almost failed to notice Kenpachi's familiar footfalls. She listened to them skid to a halt. She could feel his eyes boring into the side of her head.

"Do you want to sit with me?" she inquired softly; she turned to him and smiled. Mandy watched with amusement as confusion and suspicion crossed his face. "I won't bite, I promise." Eventually he sat down next to her. Kenpachi's familiar body heat made her want to lean into his arm and close her eyes.

"You've been gone all day." Kenpachi commented after the silence between them stretched. Miranda nodded,

"Lieutenant Matsumoto thought I needed a day out." she looked down at her hands for moment before she sighed, "Kenpachi, I just wanted to-"

"I know about him." The Captain cut her off. Confused Mandy peered up at him, "About your friend." Realization dawned on her; Ajax must have confronted him and told Kenpachi about his preferences in partners. For a moment she thought her boyfriend had done something to the poor unsuspecting red head until the Captain turned to face her. "I told you once and I'll tell you again. I don't give a damn. I don't give a damn about my men's personal life, about their age; I certainly don't give a damn about who the hell they sleep with. All I care about is if they can swing a sword or not. If they can't fight, they've got no right to be in my squad."

"I understand, but you have to see that telling you about Ajax's personal life wasn't really my place. Jax doesn't really like everyone knowing about his penchant for the more muscular side of his species." Kenpachi grunted. There was a moment's hesitation before, "But that's not what upsets me the most, your lack of trust is what makes me mad."

More silence. Miranda sighed irritably and crossed her arms. Kenpachi didn't know how to express joy and happiness outside of battle. It crossed her mind she might be asking a little too much of him too soon. With another defeated sigh she rested her head on his arm like she wanted to. He tensed with surprise but after a moment he relaxed. Feeling a little bold she reached out and laced her fingers in his. She swore she could hear the smile creep up on his face.

Then, without warning she reached up and brushed her lips gently against his face, "I'm a one man kind of gal." Kenpachi cocked his head slightly. She smirked at him as his arm snaked around her waist and brought her even closer. His kiss found hers in a sweet and heated moment. Her fingers found his hair and she closed her eyes against the feel of his body against hers.

They'd get through this. Eventually Kenpachi would get over his paranoia and begin to trust her a little more. Miranda broke their kiss and touched her forehead with his. She smiled down at him until she felt a small finger tap her on the shoulder. Mandy looked up and found Yachiru staring at them cautiously.

"You're not fighting anymore?"

Mandy grabbed her and swung her around. The little girl giggled wildly as she was cradled and cuddled in the older woman's lap. "No, we're not fighting." Pink eyes beamed up at her,

"Good." She grabbed onto Mandy's Shihakushō and buried her face into her chest. The child relaxed and dozed in her arms. Just as she had done to Yachiru, Kenpachi picked up Miranda about both girls into his lap. The air was calm and peaceful as the trio sat and enjoyed the remnants of the sunset and listened to the crickets sing well into the night.

* * *

_A/N: Wow, wow, wow. It has been a long, long time. I'm so sorry for not updating in so long. I'm just settling in after a huge move and getting over the fact that my family has basically disowned me. It's a long story and I have no intention to gripe and whine to you as my peers. I hope this chapter makes up for my absence. Hopefully I'll get the next one out soon._

_So please, leave constructive criticism and don't be afraid to flame away. In fact I love it when you people leave criticisms; they help me evolve as a writer. To which I would like to thank Kira Michi for one of the most heartfelt and sincere reviews I've ever gotten on this site. It really means a lot to me that you found my story enjoyable despite its obvious flaws. It also means a lot to me that you liked this story so much that you'd recommend it to your readers. I'll admit that was a first for me._

_Anywho_

_PathlessSpore_


	25. Pleasant Torture

Someone to watch over me  
Bleach Fanfiction  
Kenpachi/OC  
chapter 25  
Pleasant torture

_**A/N: Okay so here's the deal. I didn't do a lemon; I know I've promised a lot of you one but it's not ready. So I've given you a teaser, a citrus scene of sorts. Be warned I don't do a lot of these scenes and am relatively new at it. I'm going to need your honest opinion about it, so feel free to drop me a line.**_

_**And if you're not old enough to be reading those kinds of scenes than you need to skip the third section or get out of my book. Perverted Children….**_

_**On a funnier note, I did the first three sections to Porn Star Dancing by My Darkest Days.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

Kenpachi stalked down the halls with a purpose. Every twisting turn took him closer to Miranda's room. He needed to ask her to bring dinner to his office. He'd put off paperwork again – something she was sure to scold him for – and he knew he was going to be up most of the night trying to get it done on time. Eventually he slid back her door and ducked in.

He stopped dead in his tracks. His eye widened with shock as he watched the display. Her Shoji screen was pulled open. The sun filled window behind it lit her sensuous body like a shadow play. Her Shihakushō lay over the screen while swirls of hot mist roiled from the bathroom. From the looks of it, she was just getting dressed.

Kenpachi stilled and watched as Miranda towel dried her hair, taking care to rub out all the water. After she tossed her long black tresses a few times she threw aside the towel. From her dresser she grabbed a bottle and pumped what seemed to be lotion in her hand. She started out massaging the substance into her arms and shoulder, moving her hands erotically across her luscious chest. Kenpachi bit his lip and felt pleasant heat slide down his spine. He tried not to think where else those hands could be as she moved down to her abdomen.

The last straw was when she bent over to get her legs. He had to grip onto the door frame to keep from falling over as she showed him the shadow of her ass. The wood cracked underneath his fingers, she paused her actions and cocked her head toward the sound. A moment passed,

"Enjoying the view?" She was irritated but she couldn't hide the playfulness in her tone. He could almost imagine one lithe brow raised in amusement, a devious smirk across her face. It was dead sexy,

"Kinda," he tilted his head a bit as she stood up straight. He frowned in disappointment, "Bend over again." He demanded, it was taking all of his self control not to stomp over there and tear down the screen so he could see her. She scoffed and continued on like he wasn't there,

"Was there something you needed?"

"Probably," he tilted his head even further trying to get a better view, "I can't remember, bend over again." She laughed at him,

"Then get out of my room," she ordered, she pointed a finger to her door. Kenpachi didn't budge, "Are you deaf?"

"I swear I'll remember when you bend over!" argued the captain. Miranda sighed,

"Will you leave if I do?"

Silence, then—"Maybe…" She was still for several heartwrenching moments. Then, with every amount of sexual grace she had, Miranda stooped over. Her hands ran along her legs, the shadow of her hair tumbled over her shoulder. He could tell she had her head facing him, waiting for any reaction.

* * *

Miranda got a reaction alright. She listened to his sharp inhale and heard him tumble back out the door. She was thankful the Shoji screen hid her because she was blushing beet red, but she couldn't help laughing at him. His response to the shadow of her figure alone gave her an empowering feeling. She wondered what he would do if he could see her naked body.

She felt wonderful heat spread through her body at the thought of Kenpachi's rough and callused hands roaming over her hips, his mouth on the tender skin of her breast. Miranda shook herself out of her thoughts and finished dressing. Ten minutes later she was clipping in the diamond hair charm as she walked out of her room. Kenpachi rushed her the instant she set foot out the door.

Miranda felt her body being lifted from the ground and set into the wall. His mouth covered hers and drew her into a fiery and passionate kiss. Her legs wrapped themselves around his hips bringing him closer. Gentle fingers slipped into his long black hair as he attacked her with every ounce of desire he had. Mandy's heart raced like a wild fire, a burning pool settled into her lower stomach. A low growl rumbled from his chest as her head fell back against the wall exposing her throat.

Kenpachi was merciless as his lips found her erratic pulse. His sharp canines grazed her skin teasingly until he latched on. Miranda gave a cry and felt her eyes roll into the back of her head. When he finally pulled away she was sure he had left a decent sized hickey.

"Mine…" he hissed into her ear. Her breathing hitched and he slowly set her to her feet. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. His intense stare made her blush and avert her gaze, but he would have none of it. His fingers tilted her chin until he could swoop down and kiss her again. This time it was sweet, tender, and pleasantly short. She smiled against his lips,

"Was there a reason you were spying on me?" she murmured. Kenpachi chuckled,

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you to bring dinner to my office," he let go of her and she smoothed out her Shihakushō, "I have to do paperwork tonight."

"It's your fault for procrastinating," Mandy scolded, she flashed him a glare and turned to walk down the hall,

"Will you get off my back, Onna?" he snapped following close behind, "Will you bring it to me or not?"

When they reached the kitchen Miranda spun on her heel, grabbed the edges of his Haori, and placed a tender kiss on his bare chest,

"Fine." And without another word she turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

* * *

Kenpachi yawned as he slid back the door to his bedroom. He only bothered to shed his pain in the ass Haori and flopped into bed. He turned to his side and within moments he was drifting off into blessed darkness.

That was until he felt his bed give under. Startled, he bolted up only to find Miranda crawling across his body. She seemed different somehow, her but not really her. His mind was still hazed from sleep so he could only watch as she leaned forward to tease his lips with hers. Her fingers reached inside his uniform to find his chest. Nails traced the contours she could reach. Very easily she slid the top of his uniform off his shoulders, when she finally managed to free him of it she carelessly tossed it to the side.

Kenpachi grunted as she shifted her hips downward to sit on him, grinding back only slightly to graze the part of him that was becoming a problem; A painfully hard problem. She smiled at him with blood red lips, her blue eyes blazed into him her kiss traveled from his mouth to his neck. Her hands went even further to tease the outline of his pelvis. Kenpachi's breathing hitched as nails dug into his skin, her lips followed her hands down to his chest and navel, Miranda's lips darted out to taste his skin.

It did cross his mind that she wasn't acting right as his hands found their way into her hair. The real Miranda would have been too shy to try anything like this. He opened his mouth to question her but the thought was completely derailed when he felt something warm settle around him.

"Fuck!"

Kenpachi arched his back so much he thought his spine was going to snap. His gaze shot down to find Miranda's head bobbing on his hips, drawing him further into her mouth. Her movements had been so smooth he hadn't even noticed when she had freed his hard erection. Kenpachi clenched his teeth and growled as her tongue teased him. He was panting now, pleasure screaming across every nerve in his body. He fell onto his back and bucked as he felt himself slide even further in.

More, he wanted more! He pushed her head down, when he touched the back of her throat she moaned. Kenpachi felt like he was on fire as she continued to deep throat him, a smile touched his face as she brought him to the edge teasingly keeping him there. The she devil wanted him to beg for release, she glanced at him with her sexy eyes, amusement dancing across her features.

He considered begging for it, he had no qualms. It wasn't like she was going to tell anyone else. And he was so close, ecstasy danced across his face as he arched again. Fire burned hotly until it was too much to take. He felt the familiar burn of release break through, sending him spiraling—

Into an upright position. Kenpachi furrowed his brows in confusion. He quickly checked the room and deduced that he was alone, covered in sweat, and feeling the aftermaths of a very powerful orgasm. It was still dark out as he ran a hand across his face. As his breathing evened out he pulled back the covers. Sure enough there was a sticky mess. With a groan he fell back onto the bed,

"I knew she wasn't acting right…"

* * *

_**The Next Day**_

"So…." Rangiku Matsumoto raised a brow and nudged Mandy in the arm. She, the lieutenant, Rukia Kuchiki, and Nemu Kurotsuchi were sitting at a small round table. In their hands were cups of steaming hot tea. Mandy had gotten fed up being around men twenty four seven, so she had taken to inviting the Lieutenants over for an afternoon of "Girl Time" about once a week.

Mandy gave the orange haired woman a confused glance, "What?"

"Have you two done the nasty yet?"

Instantly Miranda was wearing her tea all over her Shihakushō. She gave the lieutenant a nervous laugh as she tried to mop up her mess. She didn't waste time getting to the point, Mandy had to give her that.

"Well," she hesitated for a moment. There was no denying that she wanted to have a physical relationship with Kenpachi. She had been feeling that attraction for a very long time now. Whenever he looked at her it was like he was wondering what he could do to her body. It also made her very nervous. "No…" she dropped her head to avoid being embarrassed in front of her friends.

"Do you want to?" Inquired Rukia,

"Well of course I do," she argued back, "I find him to be very attractive, and I have wondered about it. I just—I'm new at this, ok?"

"You are a virgin." Stated Nemu evenly. Rangiku shot her a glare and placed a comforting hand on Mandy's shoulder,

"It's okay to feel like this."

"I know, I just don't know if he wants me the same way I want him."

"Are you kidding me?" Rukia gave Miranda an outraged stare, "You are the first woman Kenpachi Zaraki has ever had a serious relationship with, and you're wondering if he doesn't want you?"

"She's got a point." Commented Rangiku, "Seriously, you've been dating since, like, Christmas. I'm surprised he hasn't taken you to bed before that. You've got him acting like a gentleman!"

Mandy smiled and poured herself some more tea, "But how do I let him know that I want this?"

"Short of telling him yourself?" Nemu offered as Mandy turned red,

"I think she'd faint if she tried to tell him outright." Rukia retorted. Silence fell across the table. Miranda looked down into her cup and frowned. She wished she could be a sexually bold as Rangiku was. She had no worries about showing off her gorgeous body and Mandy was sure she had ways to get what she wanted.

"Let's brainstorm," suggested Rangiku, "When we come back next week we'll give you some ideas."

When the hour finally ended Miranda walked them to the gates. They giggled to another and one by one they waved goodbye and disappeared. The last to leave was Rangiku. She hesitated a moment before turning around and bring Mandy into a hug,

"I know you're nervous, we all were our first time." She pulled back and smiled at the black haired woman, "But if you truly want to have sex with him your best bet is to tell him yourself. He cares about you; I don't think he'd want to pressure you into something you don't want; and not telling him is only going to give him that idea."

"I see your point, but—"

Rangiku chuckled, "We'll still brainstorm if you want. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I can't help you get laid?"

Miranda rolled her eyes as the orange haired chatterbox finally left. With a sigh she turned and walked back into the compound. She had been having these feelings for Kenpachi for a while now. Of course she knew that they would come with time, she just never guessed that they'd swamp her so fast. Whenever he looked at her with his intense green eyes she blushed madly. He seemed to corner her more often, kissed her with a fierceness she had never felt before.

Then came the day when he said "Mine" for the first time. Instead of irking her – as his possessive habits tended to do – it made her weak in the knees. She wanted to be "His" for everything that it was worth. Miranda felt downtrodden as she found her way back to her room. It was nearing the evening time, dinner was already under way but she found that she had no appetite. Instead she made herself comfortable on the garden steps waiting for Kenpachi to arrive.

It took a little over an hour. She was gazing at the blooming flowers, her mind lost in thought, when she felt a familiar presence sit down next to her. The next moment she was being smacked across the head,

"What the hell!" she barked as she punched her boyfriend in the side. He rolled his eyes at her as she began to nurse her bruised knuckles.

"Why weren't you at dinner?" Kenpachi tossed something at her; deftly she caught a large dumpling in her hands. She glared up at him,

"I wasn't hungry." She stated simply earning her a scoff,

"Bullshit, you were over thinking about something again, weren't you?"

Miranda chuckled nervously and looked away from him, "No I wasn't."

It was Kenpachi's turn to laugh, "You're a shitty liar," he nudged her in the head. She smacked him away and smirked,

"I always have been." Before he could ask more questions she popped the dumpling into her mouth. It took her a few minutes to finish it but when she did she stretched and leaned back onto her hands. There was an amicable silence between them as they watched the sun set.

"How did today's Captain's Meeting go?" she asked after a while. Kenpachi shrugged his shoulders,

"We're giving Ichigo Kurosaki his powers back. You've heard of him, right?"

Miranda nodded and settled herself into Kenpachi's side, "Yeah, he's the kid that defeated Aizen, but why?"

"Old man Yamamoto figures we owe him for saving the Soul Society." She felt his arm wrap around her waist, "There was another reason, but I wasn't really paying attention. All I care about is if I can get in a good fight with Ichigo afterwards." A feral grin painted his face at the thought. Mandy chuckled and rolled her eyes. Some things never changed.

"So how are you going to do it?"

Kenpachi sighed and rolled his shoulders before looking down at her, "Urahara came today with a special sword that we could pour our Reiatsu into. We plan on testing it out on him tonight."

"I take it you're going?" Miranda would have been surprised if he wasn't. He grinned down at her,

"Damn right I am." Suddenly he stood up taking her with him. They made their way to the gates in peaceful silence. She wasn't too worried about him though, he could take care of himself. When they arrived Mandy felt Yachiru's spirit pressure and she looked up just in time to avoid being run into.

"Is it time, Ken-Chan?" she asked excitedly, Miranda looked up at him horrified,

"She's going with you?" she asked incredulously. He avoided her angered gaze, a hand nervously behind his head. Mandy was about to lay into him when she felt Yachiru hug her legs,

"Aww, don't get mad Jingles. I want to see Ichi!" she looked up at her adoptive mother with big pink eyes.

"Yeah, Jingles," Miranda turned around and found herself staring at Ikkaku, "don't be mad." He usually didn't have the gall to openly mock her, knowing that she'd be upset. Before Mandy could get at him as well she felt Kenpachi rest a hand on her head. She looked up at him,

"You know I'd never let anything happen to her." He said simply. Finally she relented,

"Fine, someone has to keep you in line when I'm not there." Her snarky attitude was not lost on him, but Kenpachi smiled nonetheless. Miranda picked up the little girl and gave her a hug, "Make sure the boys come home safe, ok?"

"Ok!" she exclaimed as the tiny black haired woman put her on her father's shoulder. Mandy watched them disappear into the distance, after bidding them farewell. As their tiny black silhouettes finally vanished she clutched her stomach worriedly. She didn't feel right watching them leave. They'd come back, but she had a terrible feeling that bigger was coming.

Eventually she scoffed and turned back inside.

* * *

_A/N: so I said screw it and went ahead into the final two arcs of the bleach storyline. I got sick and tired of cramming so much into a year and a half. Anyway, I was re-reading the manga chapters and I'm sure I got about ninety percent of it right. If you guys could help me out with details that's be much appreciated._

_Please leave __**CONSTRUCTIVE **__Criticism in the REVIEW box. It is much appreciated._

_PathlessSpore_


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